Describes the Pacific Northwest Conspectus Database, a regional resource assessment tool which includes information about library collections in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Use of the database by academic, public, and special librarians to better manage their collections and to coordinate planning and purchasing with other…

Discusses Indiana-Marion County Public Library's decision to implement centralized collection selection and to hire a collection development librarian. Benefits of centralized selection include the decentralization of subject materials and the consequent broadening of subject materials at branch libraries. Selection depends upon a knowledge of the…

Discusses issues of identifying, storing, handling, and providing access to rare books and materials in institutions without special collections departments. Suggests that although many community colleges do not collect rare materials, they may nonetheless be in possession of books that are rare and that should receive special care. (ontains four…

Discusses the changes in the social and economic environment that have pushed libraries into retreating from their traditional objective of preserving the cultural record, and suggests that the solution to this problem must be sought by means of national-level resource and cost-sharing programs. A 21-item reference list is included. (Author/JL)

Discusses the mission of public libraries in light of the decision to purchase Madonna's book "Sex." Three viewpoints are presented: a critic of selection policies that are too broad in the name of intellectual freedom; the director of a small public library with a limited budget; and a library historian. (Contains 18 references.) (LRW)

Discussion of selection criteria for special collections in libraries focuses on the development of selection criteria at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Canada. The need for the involvement of staff members is discussed, and criteria for materials are described, including age, rarity, historical significance, and physical…

In July, 1974, questionnaires were mailed to 90 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries, to determine their collection development methods: the degree of structure and formalization of the process, the role of collection development offices or committees, participation in certain decisions, the form and use of policies,…

Three articles present: results of survey of use of videocassettes and audiocassettes in academic and public libraries; (2) results of a survey of library collections of audiocassettes of books and their acceptance by patrons; and (3) a description of the operation of a videocircuit by a regional library system. (EJS)

At the Daytona Beach Community College (DBCC) Library, collection development, selection, and acquisitions function as levels of a hierarchy. The highest level is collection development, which constitutes the planning function. Meetings are held annually to assess user needs, evaluate the present collection, discuss budget considerations, plan for…

Describes series of videocassette projects introduced in 1982 by the King County Library System (Seattle, Washington) leading to current collection of over 5,600 tapes. Population in library system's service area, exploration of marketplace, purchasing, library role, product packaging, circulation and overdue policies, demand for tapes, and…

Reports on the IFLA Pre-Session Seminar on international issues in school librarianship (Caldes de Montbui, Spain, August 1993). Summarizes papers dealing with the role of school libraries in developing countries; selection and acquisitions; management and financial support; and country reports on the school library situation. Also includes…

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…

Nine articles in this issue cover topics currently being discussed in serials librarianship: historical development, impact of technology, relationship of librarians and publishers of serials, collection development, management of serials automation, serials conversion, automated serials control, MARC format for holdings and locations, a union…

The materials selection policy of the public services division of the Maine State Library analyzes the statutory language under which the library operates, and incorporates the requirements of that language into a broader framework of demand, collection quality, and long term value. Collection development is discussed by Dewey class, followed by…

Describes the experiences at the Williamsburg (Virginia) Regional Library when the children's department closed for two months for renovations and temporary quarters were created in a bookmobile in a nearby parking lot. Discusses technology challenges involved in hooking up computers, selecting an appropriate collection that would fit, and…