Academic libraries continue to face funding pressures compounded by the need to provide students with access to electronic resources, both in journal and book formats. With space constraints and the need to repurpose library space to other uses, libraries must carefully examine the move to e-only formats for books to determine if the format makes…

This article discusses an assessment and deselection project of the modern print book collections in the John Paul II Library, National University of Ireland Maynooth. Following a contextual introduction and literature review, the article outlines the methodology, presents and discusses the results, and concludes with lessons learned. Although…

This article discusses best practices for evaluating open source software for use in library projects, based on the authors' experience evaluating electronic publishing solutions. First, it presents a brief review of the literature, emphasizing the need to evaluate open source solutions carefully in order to minimize Total Cost of Ownership. Next,…

This article discusses a project undertaken to assess the journals in a Big Deal package by applying a weighted value algorithm measuring quality, utility, and value of individual titles. Carried out by a national library consortium in Canada, the project confirmed the value of the Big Deal package while providing a quantitative approach for…

Libraries are an interesting instance of the radical transformations that higher education is experiencing. The neoliberal turn that has led to the commodification of what scholars do--teach and create knowledge--has had a profound effect on the academic library. But the political economy of the transformed library is invisible to many if not most…

Twenty-three scholarly papers and twelve abstracts comprise the content of the eleventh annual Brick and Click Libraries Symposium, held at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The peer-reviewed proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of…

Outlines the results of a review of the cataloging operations at the library at Curtin University of Technology and the three other publicly funded universities in WAGUL (the Western Australian Group of University Librarians). Identifies cost savings to be achieved by re-engineering cataloging and related operations, and separates them from the…

Iowa State University's cost study proves academic librarians can keep cataloging in-house and save staff costs. Several factors play a role in the productivity surge at ISU: increasing use of shared cataloging; growth of online authoring files; expanding role of support staff; increasing automation of catalogers' work; and structural flattening…

Ten years ago Wayne State University (WSU) libraries assimilated the university's media services unit. An analysis of its present facilities, services, collections, goals, and cost-recovery elements demonstrates the full-service WSU media center is a cost-effective, integral part of WSU library service. (Author/AEF)

Describes a new analytical tool, data envelope analysis (DEA) model, which can provide better understanding of the efficiency of academic research libraries. Reports the results of a study using 1994-1995 Association of Research Libraries statistics together with expert judgments, in terms of constraints, to make the model more applicable to the…

This paper examines the role of innovation in library operations, with an aim to incorporate innovative procedures that achieve convenience in practice, and efficiency and effectiveness in a simultaneous economic reduction. The methodology outlined in this paper is that of Best Practices. The objective of this method is to examine an…

A number of library projects show the cost-effectiveness of sharing space in buildings. Six tables provide statistics for new academic and public library buildings; additions and renovations; renovations only; and a six-year cost summary. Photographs of library interiors and exteriors illustrate the article. (AEF)

This paper discusses changes in technology in libraries over the last decade, beginning with an overview of the impact of databases, the Internet, and the World Wide Web on libraries. The integration of technology at Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) is described, including use of scanning technology, fax, and e-mail for document…

This paper presents guidelines for establishing a QuestionPoint collaborative virtual reference partnership between academic libraries in Australia/New Zealand and the US. These guidelines reflect the practices of the state-of-the-art collaborative QuestionPoint partnership, "AskASERL" as well as the unofficial standards and guidelines…

Considers advocates and opponents of citation analysis use in the management of academic journal collections and describes the compilation of a relational database file to model an academic journal collection. The use of citation analysis is recommended for collection management based on cost figures presented. (LRW)