Abstract

This study addresses the lack of concrete and consistently applied collection development guidelines for young adult materials in Korean public libraries. Due to the lack of such guidelines, library collections often fail to adequately reflect the diverse information needs of young adults, and librarians’ collection development decisions tend to rely on individual experience rather than shared professional standards. The purpose of this study was to establish public library collection development guidelines for young adults based on expert consensus. Domestic and international policies and guidelines for young adult collections were analyzed using content analysis, and subject-based circulation data of young adult collections in public libraries were examined. In addition, focus group interviews (FGIs) were conducted with young adults to supplement user perspectives, and these findings were used to inform the development of a draft set of guidelines. Based on these analyses, a draft set of guidelines was developed and subsequently validated through two rounds of Delphi surveys involving experts in library and youth studies. The finalized guidelines consist of 16 items organized into three sections: preface, general principles, and specific guidelines. The guidelines provide practical and consistent standards to support librarians in developing young adult collections and contribute to more systematic and professional collection development practices in public libraries.