The second of the two primary functions of a library is to acquire, organize, maintain, and make available information in a variety of formats. Collection management needs to conform with the library's collection development policies. Allocation of the materials budget reflects the library library's long-range plan for meeting the needs and interests of the entire community.

Southfield Public Library

• Collection Development from the Arizona State Library
• Memorial Hall Library: Collection Development Manual 2005: Circulating Collection

• Washoe County Library: Collection Development Policy

Recommended collection development policies may include:

• Community profile and clientele description to determine library's customers
• Library mission and purpose
• Challenges to library materials
• SAILS Library Network: Patron Complaint Policy
• Copyright
• Making of Modern Michigan
• UPROC: Movie Licensing Fact Sheet (Information on movie release forms)
• Disaster and recovery plan
• Collection parameters
• Subject areas to be covered and in what depth
• Media formats
• Patron requests
• Collection purposes, what are the program and patron needs to be met
• Collection priorities
• Multiple copies
• Local materials
• Gifts and donations
• Columbia College Chicago: Gift Acceptance Policy
• Cooperative collection development
• Method used to obtain material not owned
• Conservations and preservation
• Disaster and recovery plan
• Intellectual freedom
• American Library Association Freedom to Read
• American Library Association Freedom to View
• American Library Association Library Bill of Rights and American Library Association: Diversity in Collection Development: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
• Reference Collection
• Superiorland Library Cooperative Ready Reference Suggestions
• Selection
• Criteria and Schedule
• Responsibility
• Methods and Procedures
• Evaluation
• Weeding Criteria and Schedule

Some collection development policies also include:

• Breakdown of collection by classification number and fiction genre with accompanying narrative addressing scope and weeding schedule
• Breakdown of media collection by format with accompanying narrative addressing scope and weeding schedule
• A review of any collection development plan includes an analysis of collection usage to determine its effectiveness, based on the goals, priorities and/or roles called for in the library's strategic plan.