Collection development is the practice of selecting and acquiring a balanced collection for a library. This includes selecting materials in a variety of formats that are appropriate for the library's users.
Librarians develop and manage library collections, including the assessment of library's needs and the selection of adequate materials. Most medical libraries ensure meeting the library's needs by preferring to hire librarians who are members of AHIP, the Academy of Health Information Professionals.
In addition to acquiring materials for a library, collection development also includes: the development of policy and procedure to guide material selection, development of policy regarding when and how to replace worn and outdated materials, and the planning of the procurement of new materials. Involvement in the Medical Library Association is strongly recommended for those to wish to be medical librarians, since having the most up-to-date, technical information is imperative to the research needs of hospitals and medicals schools.
The size of a library's collection will depend on the size of the supporting institution and the size of the community the library serves. Libraries located in medical schools, hospitals and other institutions that teach students how to become medical professionals have requirements from accrediting standards to include specific materials in their collections. The United States has many accrediting agencies and each agency has different expectations and standards. Therefore, the size and scope of a medical library will depend on what type of hospital, university or other institution it supports, and what regional accrediting standards the library must meet.
Collection development is an ongoing task. A library's collection should always be evolving, so that the material collected remains authoritative and credible. This is especially important in medical and research libraries because new information on health-related topics is constantly being produced. To assist an information professional in the selection of relevant materials, the MLA has created a subject-based list to guide collection development specialists in the procurement of materials for their libraries. This information should be readily available and easily accessible to the members of the organization--especially health care professionals, whose job is often dependent upon access to current information. The effect of a well-run collection in a medical library increases the institution's opportunity to produce innovative research and medical professionals with accurate, current knowledge applicable to their field.
The National Library of Medicine, established in 1836, is located in Bethesda, Maryland. It is the world's largest biomedical library and leads the world in medical library organizations. The library is open to all and collaborates with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine to make information available to all. The goal of the NLM is to improve public health through the access to health information. The NLM offers many training initiatives to its members, and offers resource and document sharing options to members who are interested in significantly increasing their collections.