This essay suggests that conversation, crucial for human life in society and intrinsic to nature of libraries, may be the appropriate model for providing guidance, means, and context for change in academic librarianship. The business model, missions and goals, collection development, bibliographic instruction, and organizational considerations are…

Describes survey of 500 academic business libraries undertaken to gather information on practices in acquisition, use, retention, and storage of domestic and foreign corporate annual reports, and policies related to their circulation and cataloging. Options for libraries collecting these materials are proposed. Institutions in subset are listed.…

This essay suggests several criteria by which academic libraries' standards and processes might be judged: appraisal of interinstitutional cooperation, acceptance of new technologies, preservation of materials, role of library in total educational process, involvement of librarians in general unversity governance, and role of faculty users in…

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…

A pilot study conducted to identify concerns of public services middle managers on costing and use of performance measures found the librarians interviewed had little faith in their usefulness. Implications of these findings are discussed and specific ways to increase the usefulness of such measures for library decision-making are suggested. (CDD)

Examines the elements required to ensure the operation and use of special collections within an austerity context in order to develop a rationale for their continued support. Strategies for support are discussed, including the establishment of a strong rationale, the development of external funding sources, and models for cooperative efforts.…

Reports the results of a national survey of online systems in academic libraries which gathered information on acquisitions, serials, circulation, cataloging, interlibrary loan, and integrated systems. The results include relationships between library characteristics, such as size, and library reports of present systems and future plans, methods…

Three major topics are discussed in this essay conveying a vision of what the university library should be like in the twenty-first century: (1) librarianship as a scholarly discipline; (2) politics and the university library; and (3) the library as an active agent in the life of a university. (EJS)

Describes an automated storage/retrieval system which is integrated with an online catalog and circulation system at California State University--Northridge as a practical solution to the problems of expanding collections and escalating construction costs. The impact of this system on user services is discussed. (CDD)

Presents a methodology for describing, analyzing, and evaluating the public service functions of serial file systems, and describes a user study conducted in a university departmental library to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of its system in enabling students new to the library to locate known-items in the serials collection. (CDD)

Reports results of a pilot study and full survey of preservation/conservation concerns about the non-rare book collections at the Syracuse University libraries. The methodology is described, including physical characteristics of the collections that were examined and statistical analyses used. (CLB)

Discusses references collections in academic libraries and offers guidelines for placing materials in a reference collection that focus on their suitability for true reference functions and the expected frequency of use. Problems with poorly managed collections are discussed, and the importance of selection policies and weeding are emphasized. (37…

This discussion of the special needs of foreign students in academic libraries focuses on bibliographic instruction and research skills. To meet these needs, strategies are suggested for identifying students who need special instruction; teaching research methods; increasing staff sensitivity; and designing a staff development workshop. (CLB)

Examines the question of whether faculty or librarians should have primary responsibility for collection development in academic libraries. The findings of recent collection evaluations are presented, and the need for cost effective collection policies that combine the expertise of faculty and librarians is discussed. (16 references) (CLB)

Six large academic libraries which belong and contribute cataloging to national online networks were studied. Interviews with catalogers, library administrators, and network quality control personnel showed that nationwide evaluation of catalogers' records creates enhanced status and influence for cataloging peer groups and provides opportunities…