Multimedia Seeds: Management: Collection Development: Audio and Video Selection

Selection is the process of choosing those materials that will be added to the collection. How will you decide which titles to purchase? Will you choose audio and video based on their educational, cultural, and/or artistic value? Or, will they be based on pleasure and entertainment value? How does the mission of your center impact your choices?

Let's take the example of the film Much Ado About Nothing. This 1993 production of Shakespeare's play would be fun to compare to the original text. The DVD version was recently released. It has both entertainment and educational value. Should we buy it? Before you decide, ask yourself about the need. How will this item contribute to the collection? Then, learn more about selection criteria, tools, and review sources.

Read the off-site article: Non-Print Selection: A Combination of Methods by John W. Ellison (author of Media Librarianship). This article explores issues related to selection policies and procedures for non-print materials.

Go to the following sections and read about different aspects of the selection process: