A collection development policy for Kololo High School Library

Abstract

The study aim was to design a Collection Development Policy for Kololo High School Library and its objectives were to examine the collection development activities in Kololo High School library, to establish the challenges affecting collection development, to establish the need of a Collection Development Policy, to find out the elements of a Collection Development Policy and to design a Collection Development Policy for Kololo High School library. The study involved three data collection methods which included interview, observation and document review method. The study population size was 86 from which a sample size of 12 was purposively selected. The researcher used case study design, qualitative approach, descriptive survey and purposive sampling techniques in collecting data. The study revealed that Kololo High school library holds a total collection of about 50,000 textbooks and most of the school library information resources are acquired either by purchase, gift or donation. Collection development in Kololo High School Library involves identification, selection, acquisition, and evaluation of library resources. The school holds information resources which are in print, electronic and others audiovisual. The study findings show that, the problems of collection development are created mainly for three reasons: inadequate financial resources, non-availability of right materials in the market and shortage of accommodation or space for keeping the library holdings or ever increasing collection of the library. The study concluded that the Kololo High School library lacks a clear formulated policy which can be followed whenever there is need to add on the Kololo High School library collections. Since this policy can act as guidelines that show what can be added and what not to be added on the collection. Finally the study recommends use of the designed Collection Development Policy to guide on which information resources to include in the library collections and those to exclude. The funds allocated to the library department in Kololo High School should also be increased so as to purchase the required information resources that can meet users’ needs. Also the library space should be increased to meet the growing library collections since a library is a growing organism.