Introduction. neighborhood of Mantua in West Philadelphia. Given the library s location, it also serves the

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1 The Free Library of Philadelphia Charles L. Durham Branch Collection of Materials on Community & Urban Gardening Course 665 Collection Management Professor Catherine Collins This paper/project/exam is entirely my own work. I have not quoted the words of any other person from a printed source or a website without indicating what has been quoted and providing an appropriate citation. I have not submitted this paper/project to satisfy the requirements of any other course. Your Signature: Ria Capone Date: 11/11/2012 1

2 Introduction The Charles L. Durham library resides on the corner of 34 th and Haverford streets in the neighborhood of Mantua in West Philadelphia. Given the library s location, it also serves the nearby neighborhoods of Baring and West Powelton. The library is a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia and it carries the mission to inspire, to guide learning, and to advance literacy. A subject collection that would follow this mission and enrich its user community is a collection of community and urban gardening influenced by First Lady Michelle Obama s American Grown. This book aims to raise awareness of the dangers of childhood obesity and create healthy living for future generations. Statistics from 2009 shows that approximately 40% of the population for the three neighborhoods the library serves fell below the poverty level. In addition, school aged children enrolled in K-12 schools made up 20% of the population with three public schools located within the neighborhoods (City-data.com). Taking this information into account, as well as the initiative of American Grown, the primary user community would be elementary school students, their teachers, and their families. The objective of the collection is to educate its user community on starting and maintaining urban gardens and to emphasize the importance of healthy eating. As the collection is meant to be used by a variety of ages, one of the selection criteria is appropriateness. It is important that the collection maintain materials that can be used by children and adults and that the materials can be used by the whole family (i.e. a film or a children s activity book). Format is also indicated since the collection should be portable for on- 2

3 site gardening or home use. Other selection criteria called for price in that the materials are a low cost so if a patron were to lose the item he/she would not have to pay an exorbitant fine. Features and physical quality indicate that the materials should have clear instruction and graphics or illustrations that can attract the user community. Lastly the materials should be current and the authority of the author or publisher of each item should be considered. It is also beneficial to see if the item appears in other library catalogs. There were a variety of selection aids used for selecting materials. The aids most consulted were Booklist, Worldcat, and Amazon.com. Initially unaware of what urban gardening materials existed, Amazon.com was searched to provide insight onto what current materials are popular or available. Once discovering the plethora of materials for gardening, additional searches were performed in School Library Journal and Scholastic to see what offerings were available for school-aged children. Other aids used were Ulrich s for periodical information. For retrospective materials, Worldcat and Alibris.com were mainly used as well as searches within the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society s library catalog. Current Material Selections 1. Bucklin-Sporer, A., & Pringle, R. K. (2010). How to grow a school garden: A complete guide for parents and teachers. Portland, OR: Timber Press, Inc. ISBN: Format: Print book Description: This book serves as a manual for parents and teachers interested in starting and maintaining a school or community garden. Also included is helpful information to teach school-aged children about the importance of gardening and ecology. Selection criteria used: How to Grow a School Garden is an appropriate format and fits with the selection criteria for the collection as it caters to a variety of ages. The book is portable so it 3

4 can travel with users on site. If the book gets damaged or lost, it is a low enough cost preventing the patron from paying exorbitant fees. Selection aids used: The selection aids consulted were Amazon.com, Booklist and Worldcat. Since urban gardening is an unfamiliar topic, I wanted to explore what gardening material Amazon.com had to offer that were suitable for school aged children. I then consulted Booklist and found a positive review stating, the bounty of information is presented in ways that will generate excitement and provide inspiration for teachers and their volunteer partners (Booklist, 2010). As the authors and publisher were unknown, the title was searched in Worldcat and 690 other libraries own the item, including many public libraries. Price: Listed as $24.95 from Booklist. 2. McCorguodale, E. (2010). Kids in the garden: Growing plants for food and fun. London: Black Dog. ISBN: Format: Print Book Description: Kids in the garden can be used by children on their own or with adults. There are several projects included with step-by-step instructions and recipes to cook what they have grown. Selection criteria used: This selection is an appropriate format and a low cost. It also follows the features and physical quality criteria as it contains colorful images, illustrations, and photographs that provide clear instruction. The appropriate age listed for this selection is children ages 5 and up and the reading age is for children 9 and older. Kids in the garden is meant for a variety of reading levels and ages. Selection aids used: The selection aids consulted were Amazon.com, Worldcat, and the publisher s website, blackdogonline.com. As I was unable to find a review on Booklist and Hornbook, I consulted Worldcat to find that there were 244 holdings for this book. I searched the author s name and discovered that McCorguodale has other books about children s gardening. Also unfamiliar with the publisher, I viewed the website to find information on Black Dog, its location, staff, and other publications. Price: Listed as $15.95 from Worldcat. 3. Kidsgardening.org (2012). Retrieved November 4, 2012 from 4

5 Format: Website Description: Kidsgardening.org is part of the National Gardening Association and offers links for family-gardening activities, how-to-videos and has a section on school gardening. Selection criteria used: The website falls under several points from the selection criteria: authority, appropriateness, and features and physical quality. The National Gardening Association has the vision to make available educational plant-based materials, grants, and resources to speak to young minds, educators, and community organizations (National Gardening Association, 2012). The site is easy to navigate and offers educational tools for users of all ages. Selection aids used: Recommendation from Jamie Oliver, a celebrity chef and advocate for the consumption of healthy lunches for school children. Oliver has an official website: which provides links and resources to healthy eating and gardening. As mentioned, the site is part of the National Gardening Association which is part of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society s Library collection. Price: Free 4. Cabib, C. (Producer) (2011). A community of gardeners: A documentary [DVD]. United States. Format: DVD Description: This documentary focuses on community gardens in Washington, D.C. and the many ways they nurture and enhance the lives of those who tend to them. There is information on garden management and how these gardens provide food sources to families in need. Selection criteria used: The DVD is a low cost and can be viewed at home, in the library if equipment is available, and it the classroom for K-12 schools. This material is appropriate for all ages but would mainly be viewed grade 7-adult. As the documentary was released last year, it agrees with the selection criteria for currency. Selection aids used: The documentary was found through Booklist by searching for media reviews on gardening. School Library Journal also provided a review stating, it well serves this special interest group and could be a valuable resource for those considering implanting a similar project (School Library Journal, 2012). Price: Listed as $89.00 for public library and K-12 school use from: 5

6 5. Gagne, P. & Ellard, M. (producers) (2010). The curious garden [DVD]. United States: Weston Woods Studios/Scholastic Inc. Format: DVD Description: This DVD is based off of the Andrew Carnegie Medal award winning book The Curious Garden by Peter Brown. The short film tells the tale of a young boy living in a drab city. One day, he finds a patch of greenery and decides to tend to it thus creating a beautiful garden. The suggested viewing age is Pre-K through grade 3. Selection criteria used: The selection applies to the criteria for appropriateness and physical features. The animated DVD provides a fun and exciting format for school-aged children to discover gardening. Families can take this home and watch it together or may view it in the library. Selection aids used: Booklist provides a glowing review describing this short film as, an entertaining way to kick off a discussion of environment issues or related topics and may spur youngsters to plant their own gardens (Booklist, 2011). Worldcat was also viewed to discover that this DVD can be found in several public libraries. As the Charles L. Durham branch already has a copy of the book in its collection, the DVD would serve as a nice addition. Price: Listed as $59.95 from Scholastic. 6. Colquhoun, J. (producer), & ( Ledesma, C. (director). (2012). Hungry for change [DVD]. United States: Permacology Productions. Description: This newly released documentary focuses on how eating healthy can change lives. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver presents information about the mass benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables. There is an overall message that we, ourselves our responsible for our health and have the power to change our futures. Selection criteria used: The documentary serves to highlight the importance of health in relation to food. As American Grown also has a mission to create healthier generations to come, Hungry for Change can provide an honest look into how to changing your diet can improve your life and the lives of those around you. Also, as the DVD was released this year, it offers a current exploration of food consumption and health. Selection aids used: The documentary was discovered on Barnes & Nobles.com and then discovered in Booklist which also recommended it for a young adult audience. Worldcat 6

7 indicated that this DVD is carried in various public libraries. Due to its recent release date it may become a popular acquisition among more public libraries. Price: Listed as $29.95 from Booklist. 7. Organic Gardening (2001-). Rodale Inc., ISSN: X Format: Magazine Description: Organic Gardening offers a plethora of cooking and gardening articles from the U.S. and elsewhere. Selection criteria used: The magazine is attractive in format and applies to the features and physical quality criteria. While mainly targeting an adult audience, the magazine has a new issue bi- monthly so that the user community may continue to be inspired. Selection aids used: Pennsylvania Horticulture Society s McLean Library is a local library offering a vast selection of materials on gardening. The library catalog was browsed to discover serials that were part of the collection. Additionally, Ulrich s International Periodical Directory was used to find supplementary information about the magazine such as audience, frequency of the publication and price. Ulrich s provides a positive review for Organic Gardening stating that it offers an attractive format with several photographs, illustrations, and step-by-step directions. Price: Listed as $23.94 for a 2 year subscription domestic, and $84.00 for a 2 year subscription elsewhere from Ulrich s. 8. Green Scene (1972-). Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, ISSN: Format: Magazine Description: The Green Scene is a publication from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and is comprised of vibrant instructional articles. Selection criteria used: The magazine is attractive in format and applies to the features and physical quality criteria. While mainly targeting an adult audience, the magazine offers 6 issues per year so that the user community may continue to read and be inspired. Selection aids used: Pennsylvania Horticulture Society s McLean Library is a local library offering a vast selection of materials on gardening. The library catalog was browsed to discover 7

8 serials that were part of the collection. Additionally, Ulrich s International Periodical Directory was used to find supplementary information about the magazine such as audience and frequency of the publication. Price: Listed as $7.00 per issue from: Process for Retrospective Materials The first step for selecting materials was to analyze what I had already collected and see if any gaps were missing. I wanted to create a balance of materials that catered to a variety of ages and to ensure there were enough instructional materials selected. The process greatly differed from selecting current materials. For this collection it was challenging to find older materials on gardening in formats other than print books. I was unable to find materials with older published dates that were available as an e-book or DVD. There were a few interesting computer games for gardening and landscape architecture but I was fearful they would appear too outdated for the user community. The main selection aids used to find an item were Abebooks.com, Alibris.com, and Worldcat. While helpful, these websites are somewhat daunting. Aside from reading a review on the item, you also had to take the seller information and condition of the book into account. Evans and Saponaro (2012) also highlight that dealer descriptions and condition statements can be idiosyncratic, and one must read with a degree of caution (p. 120). Seeing a copy of a book described as new for a price as low as $1 made me question the actual quality of the material. When finding an item I was interested in selecting, I continuously searched Worldcat to see if the item was still available at other libraries. For me, higher availability indicated that 8

9 the material was important enough to keep in the collection and that it may be getting a fair amount of use. The benefit to sites like Abebooks.com is that materials can be easily acquired for a library that loses an item from the collection and needs to replace it, or a library that discovers an out-of-print-item that fills a gap in the collection. There were many cases when Amazon.com did not have the selection I was looking for. Another selection aid that assisted me with discovering retrospective materials was browsing the catalog from the McLean library of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Viewing the catalog introduced me to a variety of formats and dates from their collection. After taking observation of a few titles, I was then able to search in the out-of-print sites. Retrospective Material Selections 1. Adam, J. (1999). New city gardener: Natural techniques and necessary skills for a successful urban garden. Ontario: Firefly Books. ISBN: Format: Print book Description: This selection provides information for anyone starting a garden in an urban setting and tells audiences the types of gardens that will survive through soil and climate changes. Selection criteria used: Although from 1999, this book is still relevant on providing information to new urban gardeners. The format of this book allows users to take it with them for on-site gardening. There were books available as used for a much lower cost but it was important to aim for an excellent condition as it will need to be durable for continuous usage. Selection aids used: The New City Gardener was found using Abebooks.com. An additional search in Worldcat showed that this selection is popular among public libraries and is also part of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society s library collection. Price: Listed as $22.05 for new and excellent condition from Alibris.com. 9

10 2. Hearst-Argyle Television (producers). (2003). Rebecca s garden: Volume 1 basic gardening [DVD]. United States: NBC Enterprises. Format: DVD Description: Krolls provides her audience with visual instructions for gardening and gardening techniques. Selection criteria used: As the current selection choices lacked a visual resource for gardening, this tutorial fits in with the collection. It an appropriate format and a variety of ages can learn from it. There are also three additional DVDs for the set. If the user community enjoys this selection, the additional DVDs may be purchased. Selection aids used: A search on Alibris.com was performed to see what types of visual material it had for gardening. A Worldcat search shows that this is available among many public libraries. Price: Listed as $19.06 for new condition from Alibris.com 3. Gagne, P. & Ellard, M. (producers) (2005). Planting a rainbow [DVD]. United States: Weston Woods Studios/Scholastic Inc. Format: DVD Description: A family plants flowers in their garden that represent a rainbow. Selection criteria used: The selection applies to the criteria for appropriateness and physical features. The animated DVD provides a fun and exciting format for school-aged children to discover gardening. Families can take this home and watch it together or may view it in the library. Selection aids used: A search on Alibris.com and Scholastic were performed to see what types of retrospective visual materials were available for gardening and children. A Worldcat search shows that this is available among many public libraries. Price: Listed as $59.95 from Worldcat. Thoughts on Selection of Selection Process 10

11 This may seem like an overstatement but selecting materials for the urban gardening collection was one of the more challenging assignments I have completed in this program. I experienced information overload and spent a great deal of time reading reviews, searching selection aids, and second guessing every selection I chose. Not having experience or prior knowledge of the items added to my apprehension. I could not create my own opinion of whether the material truly fit with my selection criteria. Another obstacle I came across was when choosing formats other than current print books. Due to the subject matter and user community, I had mainly considered books that users could take with them to school, community centers, and gardens. Although frustrating at times, it was beneficial to be required to search other formats as I discovered materials and selection aids I did not know existed (i.e. video games for gardening and abebooks.com). Acquiring retrospective materials was also difficult and I was concerned that the older materials may not be applicable for current times. I also spent very little of the $10,000 budget. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to have a large sum of money and select items. On the surface it really does appear easy to collect materials but in reality there is a lot of research, thought, and dedication that goes into the selection process. References A Community of Gardeners. School Library Journal (2012) Retrieved November 4, 2012 from National Gardening Association (2012). Retrieved November 4, 2012 from 11

12 Notable children's media, (2011). The Booklist, 107(12), Retrieved from Evans, G. E., & Saponaro, M. Z. (2012). Collection management basics (6 th ed). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. Joyce, A. (2010). How to grow a school garden: A complete guide for parents and teachers. The Booklist, 106(19), Retrieved from 12