This theme issue contains eight papers that were originally presented at a conference sponsored by the University of Oklahoma Libraries on library acquisitions. Highlights include budgeting problems in academic libraries; maintaining research library collections; monograph collections in scientific libraries; vendors' perspectives; electronic…

Discussion of the decline in the purchasing power of academic libraries' acquisitions budgets focuses on why and how the acquisitions budget should be integrated into the broader library and institutional budgeting and planning process to help manage the costs of scholarly communication. Highlights include collection development and remodeling the…

Describes problems facing academic libraries today concerning the amount of literature and information available, costs, copyright issues affecting ownership, and technological changes. Strategies for dealing with diminishing funds and increasing information resources are suggested, and activities at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL)…

Discusses changes that are occurring in academic libraries as they try to keep up with the growth in sources of information. Topics discussed include acquisitions; interlibrary loan; new technologies in libraries; library expenditures; library staff; collection development; and the need to redefine the library's role to that of an information…

Provides an overview of traditional allocation methods for academic library materials budgets and describes a study conducted at the University of Tennessee Libraries that analyzed the MARC records of highly circulated titles to discover patterns of commonality that could be used in future selection work. (Contains 10 references.) (LRW)

Describes strategies that academic libraries can use to stretch the collection budget in the face of increasing costs. Collection management measures are discussed, including cancellations, coordinated buying, and cooperative databases; budgetary strategies are described; and political factors are considered, including faculty support,…

Explores the role of the academic library director in reconceptualizing the scholarly communication process in response to rising acquisitions costs. Highlights include being a catalyst for change; accountability; planning strategies and alliances, including ARL (Association of Research Libraries) and library consortia; and identifying target…

Describes measures of cost effectiveness that are useful for academic library collections, based on experiences at the Louisiana State University libraries. Highlights include circulation analysis of newly cataloged books; current periodical use compared to cost; faculty ranking of journals; and circulation patterns (i.e., use versus cost and…

Describes the services offered to librarians by book vendors and addresses the effects of increasing costs and decreasing funds on library acquisitions and publishers as well as on vendors. The costs of ordering and processing library materials are discussed, and labor-saving devices in acquisitions are suggested. (LRW)

Discusses acquisitions budgets, price increases, and their effect on academic library collections, based on the broader economic situation. Topics addressed include changes in the publishing industry; the increasing numbers of publications; the role of technology; ineffective responses of libraries; and the need for libraries to change their…

Presents the vendor's perspective on how libraries choose and evaluate a vendor's performance. Characteristics of vendors are described, including being profit-oriented, market-driven, and highly competitive; issues in the three basic areas of service, price, and automation are discussed; and the influence of personality is considered. (LRW)

Considers trends and influences that affect the relationship between libraries and vendors. Topics discussed include information in electronic formats; selection criteria; economic factors and library budgets; resource sharing and cooperative collection development; sociological changes; preservation activities; and the evaluation of dealers. (six…

Describes criteria that libraries should use in selecting a book vendor from the vendor's point of view and reports on the results of a survey of community college libraries that was conducted to determine their vendor selection priorities. Highlights include accuracy of order fulfillment, discounts, and customer service. (three references) (LRW)

Examines trends in academic research libraries and their role in the management of scholarly communication. Part 1 traces research library development from the early 20th century to the 1990s, with a focus on collections, expenditures, and acquisitions. Part 2 discusses the impact of technology and electronic information resources on the…

Examines the impact of automation on the future of library technical services. The areas discussed include the functions of technical services, how those functions are changing and will be organized, and the qualifications and recruitment of future technical services staff. (85 notes with references) (CLB)