By Christine Yunn-Yu Sun
Have you ever wondered how many books there are in your local library’s collections and how they are managed?
And what happens when you suggest an item for the library to purchase?
Lyn Baines is the Manager of Collections at Your Library.
She recently took time to explain various aspects of her work for our readers.
Presently there are 350,000 items in Your Library’s collections, and Baines is in charge of purchasing all the physical ones, including books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks.
“We acquire our items through library suppliers, who also provide shelf-ready services, such as processing, cataloguing, and delivery,” Baines said.
As any avid reader would sooner or later encounter a certain title that has somehow eluded their local library’s collections, requests to purchase new items are often made.
When making a request for a book, for example, readers are asked to provide some basic details.
These may include the book’s title, the author’s name, the book’s publisher, publishing date and ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and where the reader would like to pick up the book when it is purchased and arrives at the library.
“I buy requested titles based on availability and suitability for the collection,” Baines said.
“If a title is in print and suitable for a general audience, I’ll buy it. I don’t purchase tertiary- level texts as these would be of limited interest.
“Magazine subscriptions are reconsidered annually, so any requests for new titles are collected and considered by availability at that time.”
When asked how requests are assessed and how the library caters for the varied reading tastes and preferences of our communities, Baines elaborated:
“I try to buy a wide range of titles that will appeal to as many borrowers as possible. I’m guided by requests from borrowers, pre-publication information and catalogues from publishers, reading newsletters and websites from Australia, UK and US, being aware of titles being adapted for film or TV, etc.”
“We can’t buy everything, but I try to buy at least one copy of a range of titles. If a title becomes popular with a lot of reservations, I buy additional copies.”
Sounds easy? Definitely not. But Baines finds her job highly rewarding.
“I’m always amazed at the wide range of titles that are published and that borrowers want to read. There are so many ways for people to discover new books (mostly social media), I’m happy if I can order titles before the borrowers know that they want to read them,” Baines said.
