Describes attempts to develop quantitative formulas for determining book fund allocations, and discusses the difficulties of this approach in a university environment characterized by scarce resources and conflicting departmental goals. A set of procedural rules intended to promote fair and equitable allocations is presented. (36 references) (CLB)

Discusses references collections in academic libraries and offers guidelines for placing materials in a reference collection that focus on their suitability for true reference functions and the expected frequency of use. Problems with poorly managed collections are discussed, and the importance of selection policies and weeding are emphasized. (37…