As college faculty and students become increasingly sophisticated in the use of microcomputers, academic libraries must resolve common issues involved with the decision to add data disks to their collections, including selection policy, hardware and supplies, acquisition and cataloging, location, staffing, level of service, circulation, and…

A survey of 75 small academic libraries reveals that most hold reasonably current editions of four or five different general encyclopedias with considerable agreement on most popular titles. Encyclopedias are used primarily for ready reference and general introductions to research topics; new editions are purchased at least every five years. (EJS)

Summarizes market pressures and applications of use of electronic communication technology in scientific information dissemination and presents publishers' short-term response (electronic manuscript standardization, database orientation, provision of journal articles on demand, improvement of online search software); publishers' long-term response…

This report documents the results of a survey on the current use and management of approval plans, and compares them with similar studies published in SPEC kits in 1982 and 1988. Overall, Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions still consider approval plans to be efficient and cost effective. Survey results include: (1) the percentage…