Addresses factors to be considered in selecting library audiovisual materials in a time of increasingly complex constraints and operations. Suggestions offered include learning how to dig out facts that count, using unorthodox resources for evaluation, updating selection policy, and employing statistical and other measures to analyze patrons and…

Recently the Peru State College Library (Nebraska) had an opportunity to use a special acquisitions grant to study the effects of removing librarian bias in one area of its collection. This study considers the use of the items selected for this grant by humanities faculty and compares their use with other items selected by both librarians and…

Discusses the use of academic library circulation statistics to assess whether user needs are being met and describes a study at Stetson University that investigated collection development practices by comparing circulation statistics for books selected by faculty in support of departmental curricula with those of librarian selections. (Author/LRW)

This study was performed to help answer questions surrounding the use of interlibrary loan data as a component in selecting periodicals to add to the subscription base of the Penrose Library at the University of Denver (Colorado). Few subscriptions were placed in this library in the 1980s that were not driven by interlibrary loan requests. If…

Reports the results of a survey of librarians at public libraries (PLs) that was conducted to provide details on budgets, circulation, and popular topics. Highlights include nonfiction, with the highest expenditures and circulation; local interest materials; a loss in print reference materials; and an increase in audiovisual and electronic…

An important component of a library's collection management activities should be a measure of the effectiveness of the selection process. Effective selection should be a reflection of titles chosen compared to titles available as well as patron use of the material selected. To evaluate the collection development activities for the School of…

Discusses the use of library management data, particularly circulation data, in making selection decisions for library collection development based on experiences at Louisiana State University. Development of a collection based on actual use rather than perceived research needs is considered, and the decision-making process for serials…

Describes an inexpensive method for analyzing the cost-effectiveness of a liberal arts college's journal collection, based on measurements of journal use, journal subscription prices, and course enrollment by academic department. Explains data collection methods and presents results of collection analysis. Discusses the benefits of empirical…

This packet is designed to guide users through the steps that ultimately lead to the assignment of collection responsibilities for individual member libraries of the North Bay Cooperative Library System, Santa Rosa, California. An initial profile of the member libraries examined the subject distribution of books owned, availability of books owned,…

The first part of a two-part review of research related to school library media collections summarizes studies with implications for budgets and collection size, the selection process, collection policies, and the librarian as censor. A table compares data on holdings and expenditures for schools providing high-level library service with national…