Presents four challenges faced by libraries and proposes research designs to address each of them. The challenges involve: invisible infrastructure; content and collections; preservation and access; and institutional boundaries. Proposes a mixture of research methods that includes surveys, case studies, documentary analyses, and policy analyses.…

Traditionally, archivists have been involved mainly in the intellectual preservation of library materials and the selection, appraisal, processing, and cataloging of library collections. Due to the relatively short (approximately 50 years) stability of the paper commonly used for printed and written documents since the mid-nineteenth century, the…

A focus group study of 29 Queens College/CUNY (City University of New York) undergraduates, born and educated outside the United States, determined that most described needs related to course work rather than language or culture. Participants commented on library hours, physical surroundings, research tools, personnel, collections, and copy…

Discussion of selection criteria for special collections in libraries focuses on the development of selection criteria at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Canada. The need for the involvement of staff members is discussed, and criteria for materials are described, including age, rarity, historical significance, and physical…

The purpose of the survey for this SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit was to assess the current print corporate annual report collection practices of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries, describe the effects of these collections, and recommend best practices for preserving these significant historical documents. The…

This SPEC (Systems Procedures and Exchange Center) Kit and Flyer summarizes results of a survey of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) members that was designed to gather information about current approaches to bibliographic control of materials digitized for preservation. The survey is intentionally limited to the cataloging treatment of…

This document reports the preliminary results of a survey conducted in the spring of 1993 to gather information on the status and use of video collections and multimedia in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries. Results from the survey include: 84 percent of the 73 respondents collect videorecordings; the largest collections are on VHS…