Written to guide librarians and staff in all types of libraries, this manual describes steps in the processes of writing collection development statements and assessing library collections. The first section focuses on the collection development policy--the benefits of a written policy, who should write the statement, and elements to be included. Dealing with collection assessment, the second section lists the benefits of assessment and suggests a systematic process and tools for performing the evaluation. Setting collection goals based on the assessment, collection development policy, and library mission is considered in the third section, and alternative methods of collection assessment which might serve to verify results are noted in the fourth. Appendixes include a directory of the Alaska Statewide Collection Development Steering Committee members; sample collection development policies from high school, public, government, and community college libraries; a list of collection assessment criteria; collection intensity indicators; Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress worksheets; and Pacific Northwest Conspectus worksheets. (14 references) (MES)