Overview of the problems faced the acquisition librarian in 1969. (MF)

How the Sellers Memorial Library added over 3,000 new items to its file at a cost of under one hundred dollars is told. (NH)

Since the ACRL "Standards for College Libraries are at best a questionable guide in budget preparation, the writers attempted to arrive at a more objective formula for a basic budget for current acquisitions. A minimum figure for books is proposed, based on an examination of reviews in seventy-one professional journals. (Editor/JB)

PUBLISHERS, LIBRARIANS, AND EDUCATORS MET TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT SCHOOL AND LIBRARY MARKET FOR BOOKS AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES IN MEETING THE GREATER DEMANDS MADE UPON THEM BY THE ADOPTION OF IMPROVED EDUCATION AS A NATIONAL POLICY. AFTER AN EXAMINATION OF FEDERAL EDUCATIONAL…

Describes the services offered to librarians by book vendors and addresses the effects of increasing costs and decreasing funds on library acquisitions and publishers as well as on vendors. The costs of ordering and processing library materials are discussed, and labor-saving devices in acquisitions are suggested. (LRW)

Reports on the third "Library Journal" survey of public and academic audiovisual specialists and media librarians, which focused on the long-term outlook for audiocassette and videocassette collections. The survey covered present and planned budgets, circulation growth, selection criteria, theft, damage, competition from local stores,…

Science libraries buy many unneeded books in the effort to provide all needed books. Since books are the least-used source of information for physicists and other scientists, highly selective, objective criteria need to be developed and applied to book selection so as to limit acquisitions to items really needed. (Author)

The Federal Library Committee through the Task Force on Procurement Procedures in Federal Libraries is examining all problems and is recommending policies, procedures, and practices which will maximize the efficient procurement of library materials. It is suggested that the vehicle for this investigation be the appropriate Commission on Government…

Guideposts for the librarian are established on how to guard against buying information which is duplicated too heavily to do the collection any good. (MF)

Library use is declining in the United States because print media is no longer the preferred media of a large majority of the population. Of the wide variety of media used for information, instruction, and entertainment, only a small variety is available through the public library. Selection of appropriate media formats for library acquisition…

Allocative formulas are preferred alternatives for distributing the book budget among departmental funds. Economic efficiency via cost-effectiveness analysis is suggested as potentially useful for within fund acquisition of library-resource units. (Author)

A survey of state purchasing agencies, libraries, and book wholesalers has revealed that any small savings in purchasing books by state-wide contract on the basis of high-discount is more than offset by the extra time and money spent in coping with inadequate service and large back-order files. (LS)

A model is presented in which the division of library resources among competing interests is based upon considerations of economic efficiency. It is argued that allocation decisions should depend upon the prospective usage rate of materials, explicit value judgments about how much such use contributes to the university's goals, and costs. (Author)

Discusses the Hawaii State Public Library system decision to outsource library book selection to a vendor. Highlights include problems with the current contract, including lack of input from local librarians; and possible benefits of outsourcing, including the chance of having an outsourced baseline collection with discretionary funds for local…