The four basic criteria for the selection of library materials--quality, library relevancy, aesthetic and technical aspects, and cost--remain the same in the electronic era of information. What they mean and how they are used has changed. But even quality and cost, the two most controversial criteria, carry great importance for the responsible…

Librarians at Harvard University have written the most comprehensive guide to selecting research collections for digitization. This article applies the Harvard Model to a digitization project at Indiana University in order to evaluate the appropriateness of the model for use at another institution and to adapt the model to local needs. (Contains 7…

Library literature from the late 19th century to the present offers numerous guides to materials selection. Yet, collection development policies and lists of selection criteria are inadequate for humanities electronic texts. Libraries, humanities disciplines, and electronic texts are too complex for any rigid approach to acquisition. To meet goals…

Collecting full-text CD-ROMs for a humanities library requires an examination of literary research and the way literature is taught. It is within this context that selectors must establish selection criteria and develop plans for promoting use of these new resources. Includes a checklist of literary and technical criteria for selection. (Contains…

Availability in electronic format of scholarly and scientific literatures and other forms of information has altered challenges faced by library collection managers. Drawing on ideas of the multi-library consortia, which have grown up partly in response to the advent of electronic resources, librarians have devised new criteria and means of…

Three attempts at consensus lists of evaluation criteria for the Web are compared with reviews in "Choice" magazine. There is little agreement on the most important/appropriate criteria for a Web site's value, and few of the criteria appear in the sample reviews, suggesting a continued lack of consensus. The extreme rapidity of change in the Web…

Selection of the storage facility is only part of the larger problem of how to select books for storage and in what form to store them. (NH)

Subdivisions are General Works on Intellectual Freedom and Censorship; Bibliographies; Library Bill of Rights; School Libraries and Young People; Public Libraries, Academic Libraries, and Library Education; Selection Policies; Racism, Sexism, and Social Responsibility; Censorship and National Security; Intellectual Freedom, Censorship, and the…

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

Shows how a philosophical analysis of the moral value of information can help librarians rethink some aspects of their professional values, especially their commitment to neutrality. Discusses the historical background of allowing fiction into library collections; the impact of technology; the moral character of information; and information,…

Over the past 20 years, academic collection development specialists have dealt with changes, brought about by decreasing purchasing power and the growing importance of electronic resources. Throughout, collection managers have rethought their efforts and revised criteria for selection of materials in new formats while maintaining traditional…

The efforts of the Consortium of University Film Centers to develop consumer standards for film buyers are discussed. (MBR)

Considers the impact that the computer revolution has had on college and university libraries. Discusses the historical background of changes that resulted from the invention of the printing press; the development of national languages; knowledge acquisition; the historical role of religion; content control of libraries; and changes in students.…

Discusses the philosophy of the rehabilitation services department at McLean Hospital on patient education for the mentally ill, noting patient library collection and recommended resources on marital problems, sex education, drug manuals, and diagnostic and research findings. A list of magazines subscribed to, color code classification, and 23…