Libraries need solid information upon which to base collection development decisions. Specific evaluative methods for determining scope, access, and usefullness are described. Approaches used for data collection include analysis of interlibrary loan requests, comparison with major bibliographies, and analysis of accessibility through available…

Provides librarians and others with summary of types of methods available to determine extent to which books, journals, and other library materials are being used, highlighting circulation studies, survey of user opinions, document delivery tests, shelf availability studies, in-house use studies, and citation studies. Forty-four selected…

Reviews and discusses various methods for evaluating library collections, and how they relate to more commonly used selection methods. (JB)

This report described the findings of a collection evaluation that sought to identify the minimum holdings that would be required to adequately support a viable undergraduate religion major, to assess the religion collection from an interdisciplinary viewpoint, and to determine what materials could be weeded out. The report is divided into six…

This 93-item annotated bibliography concerning collection evaluation in academic libraries focuses on: (1) case studies of evaluation projects, (2) newly proposed techniques, (3) attempts to define adequacy in a collection, and (4) overviews of the evaluation process, all published from 1969 to the present. (Author/EJS)

To find out to what extent the evaluation methods described in the professional literature are actually utilized by practicing librarians, a study was conducted of the collection evaluation practices in 111 libraries supporting four-year colleges. Three assumptions were tested; that collection evaluation in the population would be more heavily…

Using "Books for College Libraries" as a standard reference against which to compare the Purdue University Calumet Campus library collection, a quantitative analysis of the library's holdings in various subject areas was done during the 1973-74 academic year. For each of the 65 subject areas selected, randomly chosen entries in…

Offers guidelines for weeding as part of school library collection development. Highlights include developing a weeding policy; and the CREW (Continuous Review Evaluation and Weeding) method, including reasons for weeding, scheduling, and guidelines for fiction and for nonfiction. (LRW)

Because advances in medical science can lead to rapid changes in current health knowledge, a library collection of medical science materials can become dated rather quickly. This factor, as well as the many variables of library use and operation which impact the availability of current materials on the library shelves--loan periods, weeding…

Developed to assist librarians in the measurement and evaluation of the library's ability to provide services, this guide suggests a number of evaluation techniques that may be used once the reasons for a study have been clearly determined and locally peculiar conditions have been taken into account. The first section explains methods for…

This self-evaluation form for microform storage and care was designed to assist librarians who work with active non-book collections. Developed from an extensive literature search on the storage and care of non-book materials, the form has been field tested for value and usability in 20 institutions representing a variety of types of library…

Discusses the results of an analysis of the reference process in which behavioral outcomes were distinguished from the causal factors that inhibit the delivery of reference service. Data on reference services in 16 libraries are analyzed and presented in five figures and three tables. A 26-item reference list is included. (JL)

Examines the statistical results derived from a test of the Lopez method, a technique that offers a means to empirically evaluate the depth of a library collection in specific subject areas. (FM)

This annotated bibliography presents the holdings (as of November 1992) of the Test Center lending library of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Many of the 76 entries are informal assessments and are intended mainly for the classroom. The journal articles, books, and chapters of books in the annotated bibliography were published…