by Faye D. Fischer
Earlier this year Marie Erickson and the Resources Team worked to make some updates to our collection policy. A well-developed collection plan helps a library use their resources in ways that support and maintain their mission and avoid ending up with a collection that reflects bias or passing trends. It is more important than ever to make sure we are making intentional decisions about the books we purchase. With this in mind we made a significant change that we want to share with you. Our collecting efforts will focus on titles that celebrate our great state. “The Utah collection focuses on materials related to Utah, its history, geology, and culture, as well as creative works or works of fiction produced by Utah authors.” Some of our selection criteria include:
- Non-fiction materials related to the history, geology, and culture of the state
- Creative works and works of fiction produced by a Utah author
- Materials about the Native American tribes of Utah defined as Ute, Goshute, Paiute, Shoshone, or Navajo
As the state library we want to assure that our collection reflects the needs of our audience. This is a wonderful opportunity to create a well curated literary repository of who we are as Utahans and the rich and diverse history that informs us. We serve the people of Utah and we hope our collection will become a treasure and a resource for generations to come.
Our missions and vision statements were a great motivator in making these important changes.
USL Mission
The Utah State Library develops, leads, and delivers exceptional library services, while optimizing Utah’s investment in libraries.
USL Vision
The Utah State Library is the primary leadership resource for librarians, while providing equal access to information and enduring services for citizens.
We will continue to collect books for our Book Buzz program. We will also continue to collect professional development materials for librarians and library staff across the state. Utah library staff are key to our mission and vision we want our collection to support them in their professional efforts.
You can read the complete policy on our website. If you are interested in accessing any material in the USL collection please contact Marie Erickson merickson@utah.gov.