The St. Louis Public Library conducted a survey of 3 public, 12 academic, and 16 special libraries in the St. Louis area to identify existing subject depths in various collections as well as subject areas in which libraries intend to build in the next five years. The survey data are presented in 13 tables, and the results are summarized. Plans for…

Papers presented at the annual conference of the Alaska Library Association (AkLA) focused on the Alaska Library Network with special emphasis on collection development and resource sharing through networking. Papers and reports from the conference, some of which have been updated, are presented in six chapters. The first provides an overview of…

Canada has an especially difficult information problem since an enormous proportion of the publications required by Canadian researchers are produced in foreign countries. The attempt to solve this problem by a numerological or Farmington Plan approach is wrong both in theory and practice. This method emphasizes size and discounts selectivity.…

Discusses the changes in the social and economic environment that have pushed libraries into retreating from their traditional objective of preserving the cultural record, and suggests that the solution to this problem must be sought by means of national-level resource and cost-sharing programs. A 21-item reference list is included. (Author/JL)

Three articles present: results of survey of use of videocassettes and audiocassettes in academic and public libraries; (2) results of a survey of library collections of audiocassettes of books and their acceptance by patrons; and (3) a description of the operation of a videocircuit by a regional library system. (EJS)

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…

The role of public services librarians in collection development is examined in light of changes being brought to libraries by finances, cooperation, and information access. Highlights include situation in academic and special libraries, attributes of successful reference librarians and choices affecting collection developing, collection…

Describes series of videocassette projects introduced in 1982 by the King County Library System (Seattle, Washington) leading to current collection of over 5,600 tapes. Population in library system's service area, exploration of marketplace, purchasing, library role, product packaging, circulation and overdue policies, demand for tapes, and…

This review of the 1986 literature on serials covers nine areas: (1) automation of processing; (2) cataloging; (3) union lists and network cooperation; (4) selection practices; (5) differential pricing; (6) serials work abroad; (7) subject collection; (8) service to patrons; and (9) serials librarianship as a professional specialization. (102…

This course text outlines the objectives and content for a professional continuing education course on consumer health information (CHI) services. Topics covered include: (1) trends in medical consumerism and self-health care; (2) health information needs of consumers; (3) the role of the library in CHI, including legal ramifications; (4)…

This report describes a 1980/81 project concerned with the formulation and validation of a model for determining whether cancellation and/or consolidation of serial subscriptions and holdings should be recommended to maximize the cost-effective use of combined collections and staff resources in the Boston Library Consortium (BLC). The publication…

Advice for libraries on utilization of cable television and on videotape use and preservation. (CH)

Electronic technologies and collection development are two of the top concerns in library and information science today. The challenges of integrating electronic resources and technologies into the process of collection development are many, and many-faceted. Beyond task-oriented considerations, such as the selection process itself, there are…

In 1971 the Board of the Midwestern Regional Library System authorized a study of the periodical collections of the major public libraries, the three universities, and one community college within the Region. It was felt that the study would have immediate implications for the Regional library's developing "Information Services Program,"…

In order to develop guidelines for the selection of journals by the Center for Research Libraries, a study was done of the use made of the Center's Journal Access Services (JAS), which supplies photocopies of journal articles to member institutions from the Center's collections and from the British Library Lending Division (BLLD). Based on a…