This symposium report includes seven papers that address issues concerning the North American Collections Inventory Project (NCIP) Conspectus sponsored by the Research Libraries Group (RLG). Topics discussed include cooperative collection development; rigor and research in library and information science; decision making and uncertainty; and data…

Discusses the needs of multicultural students and examines the responses of three academic libraries in addressing those needs by developing support services. Examples of programs in library instruction, reference service, collection development, and academic program support are included; setting priorities is discussed; and the potential role of…

Argues that preservation and collection development can be effectively coordinated only when the underlying political forces driving these two operations are defined and compared. The discussion explores some of the functions and values of preservation and collection development from a primarily political point of view in three contexts:…

Research was undertaken to determine if the growth of academic library holdings was exponential, as reported by previous studies. Statistical analysis showed the growth rate of the Association of Research Libraries member libraries to be arithmetical, rather than exponential, taking into account library size and inflation. (CDD)

This reexamination of earlier forecasts and statistics related to research library growth--Purdue studies first published in 1965, data and forecasts from Fremont Rider's 1944 book--shows mixed results for evidence of continuing rapid growth of collections and acquisition expenditures and marked decline in acquisition rates. (16 references) (EJS)

Reviews patterns of library resource sharing and discusses how academic libraries can increase the capacity and effectiveness of future resource sharing and shared collection development programs. A strategic model based on a Research Libraries Group study is presented, with special emphasis on winning the support of faculty. (eight references)…

This case study examines social influences in research libraries' collection development. It shows that individuals' ideologies and political agenda shape their impression of user needs and their decision making. The study also reveals how the institution's operating structures, campus politics of interdisciplinarity, personnel deployment, and…

Describes a survey that examined the effects of increasing serial subscription costs on American and Canadian research libraries. Strategies adopted by libraries are described, including faculty and campus involvement, retrenchment, long range planning, and shared resources. Relationships with publishers and the possible impact of electronic…

Identifies and discusses the eight principal functions necessary for effective collection management in academic research libraries. Six organizational models for collection management are described, and then evaluated according to how well each may facilitate those eight functions of effective management. (Author/CLB)