Discusses concept of a national library service, and compares expenditures of the British Library with public libraries and polytechnic libraries. Issues related to the British Library's location, the services of its Lending Division, work supported by the Bibliographic Services Division, and images of the Reference Division are addressed. Listed…

Urges library administrators to reject the findings of the Kent Study concerning the curtailment of library acquisitions and the sharing of library materials. The Pittsburgh Senate Library Committee raises serious questions of flawed methodology in the conduct of the study. Seven references are listed. (RAA)

Faced with growing problems in the management and direction of its periodical collection, in 1973 the McLaughlin Library at the University of Guelph established a Periodical Use Committee responsible for collecting and analyzing statistics on the use of periodicals within the library. Specific responsibilities of the committee included deciding…

The Educational Priorities Panel (EPP) conducted a mail survey of New York City school library staff, a telephone survey of community school districts, and an analysis of budget and payroll data for library services. Additionally, two member agencies, the Citizen's Committee for Children and the Women's City Club, undertook a cooperative study on…

Describes the effects of economic factors on information services in Mexico. Topics discussed include librarians' salaries; inadequate library budgets; acquisitions in academic libraries; the development of public libraries; library networks; national databases; microcomputers and library automation; library research; effects of devaluation; and…

Discussion of the role of school library media centers (LMCs) in Wisconsin highlights the Final Report of the State Superintendent's Task Force on School Library Media Issues. Issues addressed include the media specialist as curriculum partner, education and staff development, programs and technology, facilities, collections and resources, and…

Sufficient allocation from federal research budgets should cover the costs of disseminating new scientific and technological information resulting from government research and development. This would relieve libraries from subsidizing part of it through their subscriptions, strengthen a national bibliographic structure, and promote broader user…

Argues that recent dramatic increases in the numbers and prices of scholarly journals are evidence of a distorted economic marketplace for scholarly information. The discussion covers the strategies needed to reshape the current system of scholarly communication and the need for leadership within the research library community. (34 references)…

Discusses the need for research libraries to develop a greater sense of financial accountability, both from a moral standpoint and to provide better services. Topics covered include areas where cost benefit tradeoffs have been neglected, possible consequences of not becoming accountable, and the debate over user fees. (12 references) (CLB)

This set of minutes from a semiannual meeting of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) includes three presentations: "The Economics of Document Delivery" by Donald B. Simpson, "Electronic Journal Publishing and Libraries" by Jay K. Lucker, and "Policies and Controversies" by Hugh C. Atkinson. Atkinson reviews…

This paper summarizes the most pressing issues arising from a collection analysis project (CAP) initiated at the University of Michigan in the summer of 1981, and briefly describes options available for resolving these issues. It is noted that the CAP followed a model developed by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Topics covered…

The rising prices of journals and serials--major information sources for academic and research communities--are explored in this work, which presents two contractor reports on the topic. These two reports are introduced by an overview and summary together with recommendations for further Association of Research Libraries (ARL) action, short…

Comments on impact of photocopying, networking, and resource sharing on acquisitions programs of research libraries and describes fiscal situation in academic institutions, specifically in Massachusetts Institute of Technology libraries. Electronic publishing, role of research library as subscriber and intermediary, and communication between…

The characteristics of paper or microform library materials, electronic publications, and online databases are compared in terms of equipment needs, cost effectiveness, budgeting, and satisfaction of users' needs. Suggestions for the effective integration of these materials are offered. (13 references) (CLB)

In July 1982, 10 member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) were surveyed to obtain information on their existing budget practices. Libraries participating in the study were the University of California, Santa Barbara; University of Chicago; University of Colorado; University of Florida; Iowa State University; Notre Dame…