The St. Louis Public Library conducted a survey of 3 public, 12 academic, and 16 special libraries in the St. Louis area to identify existing subject depths in various collections as well as subject areas in which libraries intend to build in the next five years. The survey data are presented in 13 tables, and the results are summarized. Plans for…

Canada has an especially difficult information problem since an enormous proportion of the publications required by Canadian researchers are produced in foreign countries. The attempt to solve this problem by a numerological or Farmington Plan approach is wrong both in theory and practice. This method emphasizes size and discounts selectivity.…

The aim of this study is to determine: (1) the purposes and services of special collections departments; (2) the kinds of segregation desirable and (3) to what extent there should be divisions of material on the basis of form-document, pamphlets, maps, microreproductions and manuscripts. This study presents the findings of a survey on how some…

Discusses issues of identifying, storing, handling, and providing access to rare books and materials in institutions without special collections departments. Suggests that although many community colleges do not collect rare materials, they may nonetheless be in possession of books that are rare and that should receive special care. (ontains four…

The objective of this study was to determine how large research libraries perform the function of collection development. The paper describes collection development theory within the formal organizational structure of the library, identifies the actual decision points involved in selection of materials, and examines the staff and facilities…

In order to develop collections when given book budgets approaching the million dollar figure, libraries must consider the merits of approval plans. These merits and the importance of getting faculty support before engaging in approval plans are argued. (Author/NH)

Some librarians doubt if the undergraduate student can best be served by university library facilities. Thus many have adopted the concept of separately housed undergraduate libraries tailored to the needs of undergraduates. This paper examines this question and offers an alternative solution. (Author/NH)

Some university academic departments contend that they do not receive a fair share of approval-plan books. The study attempts to measure the proportion of books for each departmental subject in general publishing and to compare those ratios to their proportion in approval plan receipts. It also sought to determine whether, and to what extent, book…

In order to gain information about what experiences limited-budget libraries have had with approval plans, a questionnaire was drafted to survey these libraries. The results of the questionnaire are presented in this paper. Twenty-four of the thirty-one libraries surveyed, responded. Responses to each of the questions asked are presented. In…

The very rich variety of truly rare and desirable materials held by the Sam Houston State University library is quite frequently a literal embarrassment because so often there is no time, money, space or skilled personnel necessary to develop them adequately. The problem lies, in part, in the indiscriminate acceptance of too varied materials.…

An outline of the activities necessary to convert from comprehensiveness of collection to selectivity of collection in university libraries is presented. These are the development of 1) written collection policies; 2) deselection programs; 3) cooperative storage and acquisition programs; and 4) the criteria necessary to evaluate the resulting…

In July, 1974, questionnaires were mailed to 90 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries, to determine their collection development methods: the degree of structure and formalization of the process, the role of collection development offices or committees, participation in certain decisions, the form and use of policies,…

The Rutgers University Library's Annex, a compact library storage facility opened in 1982, is designed to house approximately one-half million volumes of varying sizes, including monographs, serials, and containerized items in permanent storage boxes. By using the high density, economical storage at the annex for little-used library materials,…