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Kirklees buys multiple copies – almost always in paperback format.
Usually, ten copies per title, though in the past when funds were better we might have ordered up to thirty copies.

Originally the Readers In Residence (Reader Development Officers) chose the stock but more recently the Readers’ Groups themselves have each been asked to nominate up to four titles per year for addition to the collection and then the Lit. Dev. operations team have discussed all suggestions and made a final decision on purchase within budget guidelines.

A typical selection would include:
Classics (eg. Penguin Classics)
First  time authors
Poetry
Biographies
Short stories
Non-fiction
Fiction
Independent press publications

We tend to avoid most bestsellers as enough copies can be obtained from our normal stock to supply the readers’ groups ( A possible exception to the rule might be titles in alternative formats for our VIP Readers’ Groups).

Stock is also purchased to support reading promotion events and to allow the groups to have read the relevant  titles beforehand.

In the past  the collection has been supplemented with complimentary proof copies of new novels and also, after circulation, with the sets of books bought as part of the Book of the Month promotion.

As an alternative to the purchase of multiple copies of a title we have used ‘themed boxes’ – one copy of each title with a linking idea or subject. This has proved very popular with many of our groups and sparked lively discussion.

We have also used as collections for the groups, several titles by an individual author or by authors who treat similar subjects in different or contrasting ways.

When the library-based groups have read the books, they are offered for loan to any of the many ‘affiliated’ groups i.e. those which are run by individuals  not directly connected to a library but who have access to our collection.

Since the recent, major ‘Crime In Translation’ promotion, which was a partnership project with East Yorks libraries, some of our titles have been loaned to groups there.

Revision of the collection takes place at regular intervals and material is either redistributed throughout the LICs (Library & Information Centres) or withdrawn and recycled – whichever is appropriate.