In the high desert of Utah, just 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, the Orem Public Library serves a densely populated suburban area of 98,000 residents with a single library branch. The library is situated just miles from Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. There are also three high schools, three junior high schools, and 11 elementary schools in this service area. This concentration of people and academia means the staff of the library have their work cut out for them as they build their collection.
“We don’t have centralized collection services here,” explains Julie Heckert, Digital Services Librarian for Orem Public Library. “Everybody plays a part because it's a big job. There are 25 to 30 people who are making purchasing decisions.”
But the purchasing staff at Orem Public Library have a secret weapon to help them with their collection decisions. They have the full suite of Core Collections, which is a comprehensive guide that helps libraries of all kinds and sizes build and maintain well-rounded collections of nonfiction and fiction books.
Angela Hursh is Manager of Library Engagement, Marketing, and Professional Development for NoveList. She is currently reading Happy Place by Emily Henry and is listening to Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck.
