This essay served as the basis for the opening keynote speech during the Library Assessment Conference in Baltimore in 2010. It set the stage by tracing the demands for accountability in the beginning of the century and outlining progress made. It provided important background and context for the following four keynote papers delivered by Megan…

A model based on storage and retrieval costs that determines efficient allocation of materials to different storage regimes in academic libraries is developed. An economically rational basis for determining role of several alternative storage methods which distinguish among materials by expected level of use is offered. Nineteen references are…

Describes the possibilities for research in the holdings of two Quaker colleges in the United States. Materials described include college archives, manuscripts, published works, yearly meeting archives, genealogical collections, maps, pictures, and reference resources. The facilities and policies of the libraries are also discussed. (eight…

Develops a cost methodology to use in deciding location, type of access, and type of shelving to augment existing stacks in the library. Library and user costs are included in the model and cost comparisons between alternative strategies are made. Data from a specific case study are used to illustrate the model. (22 references) (Author/CLB)