Describes the Pacific Northwest Conspectus Database, a regional resource assessment tool which includes information about library collections in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Use of the database by academic, public, and special librarians to better manage their collections and to coordinate planning and purchasing with other…

Discusses Indiana-Marion County Public Library's decision to implement centralized collection selection and to hire a collection development librarian. Benefits of centralized selection include the decentralization of subject materials and the consequent broadening of subject materials at branch libraries. Selection depends upon a knowledge of the…

Reports on third annual mini-survey on religious books in 30 public libraries across nation covering seven areas: regularity of purchase of religious materials; percentage of book budget used; percentage of circulation; collection policies; gifts; patron demand; attempt to "balance" book collection on certain issues; pressure from…

In a new era of austerity in academic libraries, more realistic concepts of collection building will have to be adopted and new patterns of service will have to be devised. (Author/PF)

Describes the collection development plan implemented by the Tulsa City-County Library system to support their perception of the role of the library as providing more than recreational reading. Topics discussed include raising staff consciousness, rejecting demand buying, evaluating the collection, streamlining acquisitions, and procedures for…

Urges library administrators to reject the findings of the Kent Study concerning the curtailment of library acquisitions and the sharing of library materials. The Pittsburgh Senate Library Committee raises serious questions of flawed methodology in the conduct of the study. Seven references are listed. (RAA)

Suggestions are given for improving the availability of a library's most-requested books. (PF)

Reports on the third "Library Journal" survey of public and academic audiovisual specialists and media librarians, which focused on the long-term outlook for audiocassette and videocassette collections. The survey covered present and planned budgets, circulation growth, selection criteria, theft, damage, competition from local stores,…

Online database searching experiences of nine Illinois public libraries--Arlington Heights, Deerfield, Elk Grove Village, Evanston, Glenview, Northbrook, Schaumburg Township, Waukegan, Wilmette--are discussed, noting search costs, user charges, popular databases, library acquisition, interaction with users, and staff training. Three sources are…

Contends that network resource sharing is a service that is not appreciated by public library patrons, who accept only immediate delivery as acceptable access to materials. Improvement and expansion of local holdings is suggested as an alternative to expensive networking arrangements. Twenty references are included. (RAA)

Includes three articles that debate whether interlibrary loan (ILL) is the best way to get public library patrons what they need. Highlights include return on investment; funding; alternatives to ILL, including purchase on demand and online full-text databases; cost effectiveness; and the advantages of patron-initiated ILL through interconnected…

Close collaboration between library and bookstore (or a complete merger of the two) could do much to solve the immediate problems faced by many small colleges with small library collections and limited budgets. (MF)

Proposes a method of building local library support through the addition of genealogy and local history collections. Suggestions concerning types of information, media, collection development, and implementation are included. (JVP)

Facing a major budget crunch, the Hawaii State Public Library System awarded a five and one half-year, $11.2 million contract to a vendor (Baker & Taylor) for collection development. Hawaii librarians argue that outsourcing sacrifices local expertise and a central part of their professional identity. Discusses the controversy from opposing…

Building library collections that meet the needs of users entails the acquisition of the best materials available. This bibliography of sociology books has been compiled by the citation counting method. Listed are the books that received five or more citations from the journal literature. (95 references) (Author)