Discussion of way in which books have functioned within framework of American librarianship highlights acquisition of books (libraries attempting to fill needs of everyone in geographical area, libraries devoted to filling needs of self-selected part of society, libraries devoted to collecting particular subject), and role of private collector of…

Approval plan purchasing is related to library goals of comprehensiveness, pointing out the interrelated pressures of the university system which have contributed to making this method of purchasing possible and the defensive techniques used to justify it. (19 references) (Author)

A survey of preservation activities in large academic libraries revealed widespread problems of deterioration of library materials. Some countermeasures are described. (Author/PF)

A campus delivery service is one way to increase accessibility of library materials. This report provides an overview of such a service, evaluates its performance, notes the economic implications, and concludes that the service can solve some of the problems of decentralized collections. (13 references) (Author)

Centralized book selection on a national basis is offered as a practical alternative to the present system of selection by librarians and faculty members which, it is argued, does not produce the quality of collections needed. (14 references) (NH)

A 1971 study recommended installing an electronic security system at the University of Pennsylvania library. A comparison of pre- and postinstallation estimated loss rates is given. A costs/benefits analysis based on the new estimated loss rates and factors affecting loss rate estimates are discussed. ( Author/JAB)

Inflation is currently affecting library book budgets, particularly the acquisition of serials. This model would balance the purchase of serials against the purchase of monographs by individual funding units within the academic library. Consideration is given to inflation as a cost factor. The model is applied to a specific example. (Author/LS)

In a detailed study of reserve book circulations at the University of Nebraska, it was found that the percentage of titles never circulated rises rather sharply fo course lists longer than twenty titles. (Author/NH)

Two out-of-print book buying methods, searching desiderata files against out-of print book catalogs and advertising want lists in The Library Bookseller,'' are compared based on the data collected from a sample of 168 titles. (7 references) (Author)

Out-of-library circulation totals were found to be reliable indicators of in-library use. For predicting in-library use (and thus total use) two methods are cited: simple ratio of out to in, and the regression equation. (4 references) (Author/NH)

Describes, from the flood to the start of freeze-drying operations, the preservation efforts of Stanford University regarding books damaged by water in the Green Library in November 1978. Planning, action, and mopping-up activities are chronicled, and 20 suggestions are offered as guidance in future similar situations. (JD)

Measures and compares the effects on book return rates when three different types of deterrent methods are applied in recovering books in a university library. (Author/PF)

A continuation of the semiannual series, this list presents a selection of recent scholarly and foreign works of interest to reference workers in university libraries. It is not intended to be well balanced or comprehensive. (34 references) (Author/NH)

Circulated library books classified according to academic subject areas and student majors were used to determine relative subject similarities in 40 academic departments. Use of multidimensional scaling to compute similarities in undergraduate and graduate circulation and implications for library collection development and storage are described.…

Describes a two-phase study at Polk Library of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh that (1) found an apparent fallacy in the statistical procedure developed by Trueswell and (2) concluded that obsolescence could best explain the poor circulation record of little used books. (Author/JD)