Academic and research libraries have tended to dominate change and codification in this area of library work, as much in 1876 as in 1976. (Author)

An outline of the activities necessary to convert from comprehensiveness of collection to selectivity of collection in university libraries is presented. These are the development of 1) written collection policies; 2) deselection programs; 3) cooperative storage and acquisition programs; and 4) the criteria necessary to evaluate the resulting…

United States libraries' involvement in acquiring books from abroad and in international library activities is chronicled. (PF)

Concludes that most college libraries do not meet ACRL standards criteria for collection size, development, staff, and budget. This study is based on data obtained from the 1977 Higher Education General Information Surveys by the National Center for Education Statistics. References are provided. (RAA)

Written from perspective of the president of a graduate research-oriented university, the author explores nature of the academic library, its size and structure, retrenchment as it affects acquisitions and services, and issue of who makes decisions concerning the library. Space and budgetary problems at the University of Oregon are discussed.…

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…

The Library of Congress National Program for Acquisitions and Cataloging (NPAC) has operated since 1966. This report examines its impact on university libraries. Administration of technical services departments and financial advantages are discussed. (6 references) (DH)

Reports the results of a survey of liberal arts college libraries which focused on the collections, facilities, and personnel of science libraries. Responses from colleges with strong science programs (i.e., research colleges) are compared with data received from other liberal arts colleges. Four figures and one table are provided. (SD)

Citation analysis was used as an aid in collection development in the field of engineering. Results indicated books are of greater importance than journals, and reductions in the number of subscriptions released funds for purchase of books. (Author/JAB)

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)

Describes collection evaluation tool available to Research Libraries Group (RLG) institutions which provides overview, arranged by subject, of existing collection strengths and future collecting intensities of RLG members. Antecedents of the tool and an online version are discussed. Seven references, definitions of collecting levels, and language…

Compares the approval-built collection with the collection which is created when traditional select and order procedures are used. The study was limited to 1974 imprints in four subject areas and utilized the services of two major vendors. (Author)

Science libraries buy many unneeded books in the effort to provide all needed books. Since books are the least-used source of information for physicists and other scientists, highly selective, objective criteria need to be developed and applied to book selection so as to limit acquisitions to items really needed. (Author)