Discusses serials cancellations; reviews library collection assessment policies and reasons for assessment studies; describes a survey of academic health sciences libraries that examined serials cancellation projects, including the decision-making process, regional or national cooperation, and the methodology used; and explains a generic serials…

Reviews the history of the relationship between OCLC and the regional networks, and examines current stresses in this relationship. Strategies that might be used to preserve this partnership are suggested. (1 reference) (Author/CLB)

Discusses libraries' participation in consortia, cooperatives, or networks to help cope with the financial pressures created by more available materials and less money. Reasons for participating are examined, factors to determine the value of belonging are suggested, cost factors are considered, and cooperative collection development is described.…

Examines the rising costs of library materials and the impact on access to information. Four types of cooperative library programs are described: (1) programs to extend scholarly resources; (2) programs to reduce materials costs by dividing collecting responsibility; (3) programs to improve clients' access to information; and (4) programs to…

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…

Discusses changes in academic library collection development due to societal attitudes toward higher education; budget and service pressures; copyright, licensing, and intellectual property issues; and preservation considerations. Recommends cooperative collection management, made more possible through network technology, as a means to effectively…

Explores assumptions shared by the Earlham model of bibliographic instruction and the current information literacy movement, outlines important differences, examines conditions that inhibit change, and profiles two approaches to developing information literacy programs with strong cross-campus collaboration based on experiences at St. Olaf…

Selection in a consortial setting is a complex, opportunistic, and often political process requiring an uneasy balance of local needs in conjunction with the group agenda. The issues of the selection and implementation of shared and networked resources, carried out in a comparatively public arena, are discussed. (Author)

Traces the development of library networking over the last 20 years, and examines the current attitude toward an integrated national network. The political and economic problems of the Linked Systems Project are discussed, as well as issues relating to copyright. (10 references) (Author/CLB)

Eight articles examine the impact of rising costs of serials and monographs on library services. Topics covered include crisis management strategies; insights from the vendor's perspective; the particular problems of research institutions; the impact of tight budgets on technical processes; and options for cost savings through resource sharing and…

Explores the impact of networks and shared library resources on the library planning process. Environmental scanning techniques, the need for cooperative planning, and the formulation of strategies to achieve networking goals are discussed. (CLB)

Describes an initiative of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Scholars Portal Initiative, a three-year collaborative effort which seeks to provide tools for an academic community to have a single point of access on the Web to find high-quality information resources and to deliver the information and related services directly to the…

Discussion of access to information in academic libraries focuses on the effects information technology is having and will continue to have on libraries and on users. Topics discussed include electronic publishing; CD-ROM; cooperative collection development and resource sharing; library networks; internal bibliographic and processing systems;…

Describes the program developed by the AAU (Association of American Universities) and the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) to improve access to international research resources and to help libraries contain costs through distributed collecting and technology. Considers the effects of financial pressures on foreign language and area studies…

Identifies five institutional forms of library consortia, one of which is local consortia or proximal networks, and discusses issues that apply to local library consortia. Highlights include redefinition of the library role, appropriate technology, bibliographic control, direct access, governance, and financing. (10 references) (CLB)