Collection Development

Over the years, our collection at the DeWitt Community Library has certainly grown and changed, as have the needs of our patrons. From the date we opened our doors in 1962 until probably the mid-eighties, the focus of libraries was on research and reference services, as well as bestselling titles and newspapers. We had a collection of vinyl albums, newspaper archives on microfilm, and quite an extensive Reference collection. Your Librarian was the gateway to information if you had to write a report, research current events in the newspaper, make a family tree, or you wanted the latest book by your favorite author. The Reference Desk was most likely your first stop as you entered the library.

Things have certainly changed over the decades, and especially in the last 15 years, as the world has become much more fast-paced and technology oriented. Instead of vinyl, we have a CD collection -- but we have gone beyond that, as well. We now circulate DVDs and Blu-Rays, video games, and the library offers downloadable audiobooks that you can save on your iPod or MP3 player. As the world becomes more virtual, we still offer newspaper archives but now it's through a database subscription, along with genealogy research databases and encyclopedias for children and adults. The addition of so many online subscription materials has allowed us to order fewer costly Reference books in print, which also frees up shelf space for expanding our collection in more popular areas. Another big difference in the past couple years is that we are moving beyond strict Dewey Decimal order in our Adult Non-Fiction stacks; we now shelve our books by category first and then by Dewey number, making our shelving system much more browsing-friendly, like it is at your local bookstore. Your Librarian is still a helpful reference and a good starting point, but you can also help yourself more easily when you come into the library, or when you check out our website from home.

Click on the pictures below for full-size versions.