Collection Development in the world of 2026: Part 1 How we got here

Some of the YA nonfiction that I
STILL haven't had time to weed
since the collection space was
significantly downsized last year.

After the collapse of Baker & Taylor last year, which I totally saw coming, I've made major changes in how I order materials, especially as I am working with new vendors.

I've always preferred to do the bulk of my orders at the beginning of the year - while it means running out of money in the fall, it also means that nobody can cut my budget if I've already spent it! While the latter is not likely now, it happened too many times in the past for me to let that habit go.

In the past I did a lot of preorders. There's nothing like that delicious little thrill when you're the first library in your consortium to get a new book! However, that just doesn't work well with my new vendors and workflow, so I have let that go.

I did a lot of weeding in the past year or two, preparing for our renovations - some things, like our JBC (beginning chapter books) I had expected to be able to easily replace in bulk. However, prices have gone up so much that it's no longer possible and I have accepted that it will take longer to fill in those gaps in the collection. I'm also trying to get used to the new layout and arrangement of shelves and collections. Yes, I'm the person who did (most of) the layout, but it still takes time to adjust!

Finally, I have to account for the gradual but definite change in reading trends in my community. Complex, chapter-length nonfiction and realistic middle grade fiction over 200 pages has dropped in circulation. Middle grade fantasy series rarely circulate after the first title. There may be other changes based solely on the new organization of the collection, but those will take a while to fully develop.

Finally, although my budget hasn't changed and I even got a slight increase this year, in practical effect it's shrunk - the rise in prices and the potential loss of several of my grant/donation sources means the effective loss of approximately $5,000.