The first of two articles describes changes in computer technologies and user needs which affect the role of bibliographic utilities and discusses the need for cooperation between libraries and computing professionals. The second article discusses underlying strategies of library collection management in terms of quantitative and intuitive…

This SPEC kit is based on a June 1987 survey of approval plan use by 94 members of the Association of Research Libraries. It reports on the current practices of these libraries, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using approval plans, and the effect of increased library materials costs and library automation on such plans. It is noted…

Describes compact disk technology in general and possible library applications, including cataloging, online bibliographic searching, and full text searching, and compares the purchase of optical disk packages to traditional online services. Guidelines are provided for evaluating optical disks which focus on the size of the database, updating…

Defines mechanical and expert selection of library materials and investigates the usefulness of mechanical selection in three test cases involving popular novels, German literature, and contemporary poetry. The cost of mechanical selection is examined and more quantification in selection practice is recommended. Data are presented in eight tables,…