A study at the Emory University School of Business Administration library compared the effectiveness of faculty members and librarians as book selectors. Effectiveness was measured by comparing selected titles with the Baker list published by the Harvard Business School and with business periodical reviews, and by examining circulation records.…

Describes a study that compared the performance of two general approval plan vendors with that of two science and technology (sci/tech) specialty vendors in identifying sci/tech titles that matched a library profile. The areas discussed include overall coverage by vendors, representation of non-trade publishers, and difficulties in using approval…

Describes two surveys of libraries by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) that were conducted to compare approval plans and to determine alternative acquisitions methods for materials in philosophy and political science. Time spent by selectors is examined, collection evaluation activities are described, and implications for resource…

Discussion of cooperative activities among libraries focuses on cataloging of Latin American materials among research libraries. Differences in motivation for cooperation in acquisitions and in cataloging are discussed; and a study is described that examined which libraries were providing online cataloging, and differences between OCLC and RLIN…

Defines mechanical and expert selection of library materials and investigates the usefulness of mechanical selection in three test cases involving popular novels, German literature, and contemporary poetry. The cost of mechanical selection is examined and more quantification in selection practice is recommended. Data are presented in eight tables,…

Discussion of integrated library systems focuses on the development of the Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK). Capabilities of eight existing systems are described, including catalog creation and maintenance; the online public access catalog (OPAC); circulation, interlibrary loan, and document delivery; acquisitions and serials…