This study examines the influence of culture on digital libraries of the first wave. The local cultures of innovation of five European national libraries (Biblioteca nacional de Portugal, Bibliotheque nationale de France, Die Deutsche Bibliothek, the National Library of Scotland, and the British Library) are reconstructed in case histories from…

This study analyzes 9,131 citations from the 2002 volumes of journals in eight humanities fields: art, classics, history, linguistics, literature, music, philosophy, and religion. This study found that citation patterns varied widely among humanities disciplines. Due to these differences, it is important for librarians with humanities collection…

A comparison of subject- and publisher-based book approval plans for academic libraries found publisher-based plans to be more successful for purchasing domestic publications, and subject-based plans for international ones. Library collections, organization, and vagaries of the publishing industry form the basis for selecting the plan which is…

Compares current approaches to decisions involving the preservation of library materials and describes a national project aimed at identifying and preserving important classical studies on microfiche. The use of an editorial board of scholars in this decision making process is evaluated and alternative scholarly involvement models are suggested.…

The results of a project comparing the nursing monograph collections of academic health science center libraries in the Southwest are reported. Records for nursing monographs from the TALON (South Central Regional Medical Library Program) Union Catalog of Monographs from 1977-1983 were analyzed to reveal the distribution by year, publisher, and…

This annual review source is designed to assist smaller libraries in the systematic selection of suitable reference materials for their collections. Approximately 500 unabridged reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most useful and affordable reference sources available for small and…

Selection and development aids emphasizing materials for children through sixth grade are examined and the main categories (evaluative, non-evaluative) and subsets (current or retrospective, specific or all subjects, format) are noted. Factors to be considered in examining selection tools are discussed: organization, information provided,…

This annual review source is a guide for libraries with limited budgets to finding the reference sources that best fit their needs and it also is a source for helping reference librarians advise patrons on information sources. More than 500 reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most…

Describes qualitative evaluation of library holdings in a high school science collection that involved two methods: impressionistic method (relies on professional judgement of subject specialists, librarians, or scholars to evaluate collection); list-checking (compared holdings with "American Association for the Advancement of Science Book…

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,…

Second survey report (first was published October 1983) presents information on expenditures in library media centers for resources and audiovisual equipment, condition of collections and patterns in collection development, staffing and educational background of head library media specialist, and patterns of use of microcomputers by students and…

Provides an annotated bibliography of print atlases for pre-K through 12, general atlases for under and over $50, Facts on File loose-leaf map collections, and CD-ROM atlases. Lists the top atlases' best bets of print and CD-ROM, provides guidelines for selection, and argues that although print atlases are superior, a good CD-ROM atlas is useful…

Identifies and discusses the eight principal functions necessary for effective collection management in academic research libraries. Six organizational models for collection management are described, and then evaluated according to how well each may facilitate those eight functions of effective management. (Author/CLB)

Study of 68 school media centers in 11 states was conducted to field-test collection mapping as a technique and to amass enough data to enable individual schools to compare their collections with national pool of school collections. Collections of participating schools were also compared to nationally recognized selection lists. (CDD)