A theoretical foundation is provided for a method of identifying those books in a library's stack that determine any given percentage of the current circulation. Basic components and requirements of the technique are described, and the theory is applied in an example that manipulates data from a university library. (Author/MBR)

The process described in this manual is designed to help small academic libraries systematically study the use of their circulating book collections. Originally developed in 1980, the manual has been used successfully in several small college libraries, both with and without assistance from outside consultants. In most cases, the study can be…

A computerized method of assisting monograph collection development by correlating library circulation with inventory statistics is presented. (Author)

Argues that evaluating a library's collection is not an acceptable substitute for evaluating the collection development process and its developers. With increasing materials costs, overselection can be much more serious than underselection. Several useful methods for evaluating collection development incorporate statistics regarding proportional…

Describes how analysis of the circulation of federal government publications over a 40-month period at Western Illinois University revealed patterns of usage that allowed the library to make more informed collection management decisions. The most frequently circulated classes of government documents are listed as a guide for other depository…