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Texas Public Library Standards

Collection Standards

The purpose of these standards is to ensure that Texas public libraries provide collections that meet community needs. The size of the collection is a significant standard only in relation to its use by the community, reflected in circulation per capita and collection turnover rate, and in the currency of the collection, reflected in percent of collection less than 5 years old, and in the weeding schedule.

Many resources are available to support achievement in these standards. CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries is a useful guide for an ongoing weeding program, Selecting and Using a Core Reference Collection identifies essential titles. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides these two guides to all public libraries in the state. Additional resources and consulting services are available through the Texas Public Library Systems.

Local history materials are often uniquely valuable materials in a public library collection and of special interest to local communities. However, interest in these collections is not exclusively local and many of these unique and irreplaceable materials are at risk of deterioration. Digitizing local materials will ensure broad access and preservation, and for this reason is encouraged as a goal for public library excellence.

Library collections can be expanded beyond the physical boundaries of the library through access to electronic resources both from within the library and from remote sites. All libraries can enhance their collection by taking advantage of the electronic resources available through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the funding available through a variety of grants and other opportunities. Also, libraries can become proactive information providers by using local funds to license in-house and/or remote access to full-text databases of local interest.

Population	Basic	Enhanced	Comprehensive
All populations	Core reference collection	Core reference collection	Core reference collection
	2.0 circulation per capita	4.5 circulation per capita	7.5 circulation per capita
	10,000 items, or 1.5 items per capita, whichever is greater	12,500 items, or 3 items per capita, whichever is greater	15,000 items, or 4 items per capita, whichever is greater
	15% of collection less than 5 years old	20% of collection less than 5 years old	25% of collection less than 5 years old
	Entire collection weeded every 5 years	Entire collection weeded every 4 years	Entire collection weeded every 3 years
		Local history materials	Local history materials
	Library extends collection by providing access to Internet and full-text databases provided by the State Library	Library extends collection by providing access to Internet and full-text databases provided by the State Library and by providing licensed full-text databases purchased locally	Library extends collection by providing access to Internet and full-text databases provided by the State Library and by providing licensed full-text databases purchased locally
			Remote access to full-text databases purchased locally
	Library offers Interlibrary Loan services	Library offers Interlibrary Loan services	Library offers Interlibrary Loan services
	Library offers materials in a variety of current nonprint formats	Library offers materials in a variety of current nonprint formats	Library offers materials in a variety of current nonprint formats
			Library offers digitized local history materials
	Library collects/reports electronic use	Library collects/reports electronic use	Library collects/reports electronic use
Less than 5,000	Collection turnover: Not applicable	Collection turnover: Not applicable	Collection turnover: Not applicable
Over 5,000	1.00 collection turnover rate (circulating collection only)	1.75 collection turnover rate (circulating collection only)	2.5 collection turnover rate (circulating collection only)

Administration Standards | Facility Standards

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