Native American literature for young people: a survey of collection development methods in public libraries

The recorded answers supplied in the questionnaires were extracted and placed on a spreadsheet. This matrix provided a format by which the data could be organized. Each item was then analyzed by applying descriptive statistical methods. Certain responses for related data queries were compared and placed in rank order to begin developing a profile of collection development practices.

DATA ANALYSIS

To the query, Is Native American Literature for young people a specific topic addressed in the library's collection development policy? fifteen respondents (30.6 percent) answered "yes" and thirty (61.2 percent) indicated "no." Four individuals (8.1 percent) did not answer the question. The data seem to indicate that the majority of institutions polled do not stipulate the acquisition of these specialized resources in their policy statements. This finding is further confirmed with the responses gathered in the following two queries.

When asked to indicate the percentage of the children's/young adult collection dedicated to Native American literature, four librarians (8.1 percent) chose the "none" category and thirty-two (65.3 percent) selected the lowest range level (I percent to 9 percent). These data are further verified in the responses collected regarding the allocation of funds. Seventeen respondents (34.6 percent) reported low levels of funding (1 percent to 9 percent) and twenty-one (42.8 percent) responded that no specific allocations were designated for the purchase of these resources. Despite the fact that these libraries are located in states with large American Indian populations, anemic levels of acquisition activity seem to occur in the procurement of related materials.

In an open item, respondents were asked to designate who was responsible for selecting materials for children's/young adult collections. An analysis of the answers did not reveal a consistent pattern. Selection assignments varied in accordance with the unique hierarchy of each library or institutional system. A sample of these responses include: "Branch Librarian," "Library Director and Children's Librarian," "Selection Team," "Materials Selections Officer," and "Youth Services Librarian."

In the next query, librarians were asked to rate selection sources in choosing American Indian literature for children. A Likert scale was provided with a range from one (least important) to five (most important). From the responses received, a rank order of titles was formulated based on the calculation of mean scores. This computation involved summing each participant's rating for a specific title and then dividing the resulting figure by the number of respondents. A zero value was applied in cases where no assessment was provided. This resulted in a ranked list of sources as shown in Table 2.

Table 2
Rank Order of Responses Rating the Importance of Selection Sources
in Acquiring Native American Literature for Young People
Title                                          Average Rating
Booklist                                            3.08
Children's Catalog                                  2.53
School Library Journal                              2.38
Library Journal                                     2.29
Horn Book Magazine                                  2.04
Public Library Catalog                              2.02
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books         1.97
Publishers Weekly                                   1.93
Fiction Catalog                                     1.89
Junior High School Catalog                          1.71
Book Links                                          1.46
Voice of Youth Advocates                            1.46
Senior High School Catalog                          1.42
Kirkus Review                                       1.36
The Indian Historian                                0.93
Book Report                                         0.87
ALAN Review                                         0.79
The Weewish Tree                                    0.71