Apportioning materials budgets is a collection development problem. Failure to grasp that fact has, for over 70 years, misdirected efforts to find a workable solution. (Author)

Discussion of the development of a budget formula allocation system for library acquisitions is followed by a literature survey on the choice of variables to be included. The steps in the development of the allocation formula and the solutions to a number of practical problems are presented. (Author/RAA)

Rampant inflation in serials' pricing is forcing many academic libraries to initiate serials cancellation projects. If libraries plan carefully and involve faculty throughout the process, serials can be canceled without excessive damage to the collection or to the library's relationship with the rest of the college. (six references) (LAE)

Reviews the trends in scholarly publishing that are forcing many academic libraries to cancel subscriptions to high priced or seldom used titles. A strategy of librarian-faculty communications in which faculty awareness and support were enlisted during a periodicals cancellation effort at Idaho State University is described. (31 references) (CLB)

Reports on a 1995 survey of Wisconsin academic libraries regarding collection development practices for languages and literature. Results suggest that faculty control selection; approval plans have not taken over from personal selection; and local demand is emphasized over presumed quality as suggested by review magazines. (LRW)

Securing adequate insurance coverage is an important aspect of preserving library collections. Insurers determine rates, within an institution's limits of coverage, based on the library building's environment and the library's estimate of the collection's replacement cost. Methods of categorizing and projecting these costs are explored with…

Discussion of financial allocations by universities for library materials focuses on a study of fine arts faculty at Texas Tech University that identifies information services, sources, and materials that they consider important for their teaching, research, and creative endeavors; and investigates their use of library services. (Author/LRW)

Compares the costs and benefits of periodical ownership against online access of a full-text periodicals database in one academic library. A full-text database allows the library to offer more than twice as many journals as it does currently for a 15% increase in expenditures. Two tables show comparisons. (Author/AEF)

Discusses the issue of access versus ownership of academic library materials necessitated by rising costs, declining budgets, and increased scholarly production. Highlights include technological advances in resource sharing; performance criteria for access; costs; speed (user expectations, turnaround times); and reliability (fill rates of…