Book excerpt: This practical manual demystifies the process of creating and maintaining a quality school library collection—an invaluable resource for anyone working in a library media center. Today's school librarians have many different responsibilities, but arguably the most important aspect of their job is developing and maintaining a collection that their library customers love. School Library Collection Development: Just the Basics is an accessible, practical manual that explains the fundamentals of purchasing, developing, and managing a collection. Containing information useful to anyone from a paraprofessional working under the guidance of a certified school librarian to a newcomer to the field to a certified media specialist, this book covers all of the basics through best practices. The authors provide much-needed advice on how to add to an existing collection, how to weed books no longer needed, and how to process and inventory that collection. This book is a must-have resource for staff members who are new to school libraries and need an easy-to-read guide to help them quickly learn the job.