Is There a Future for Collection Development Librarians?

With many academic libraries making use of approval plans and demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) the traditional role of the Collection Development Librarian is changing and diminishing. But is this really true? I will describe the areas of collection building and management that still need to be carried out by a librarian. I will also identify those tasks that a Collection Development Librarian no longer needs to perform. Finally, I will consider the future direction of collection building in different types of academic libraries and will suggest new roles for the library in this process.

The objective of this session is to initiate a dialog about the role of collection development in the electronic age. Members of the audience will be encouraged to share practices and policies from their institutions and to brainstorm about new roles and responsibilities for librarians. Attendees will leave the session with a better understanding of current collection development practices and a stronger awareness of the central role a Collection Development Librarian can play.