This SPEC kit is based on a June 1987 survey of approval plan use by 94 members of the Association of Research Libraries. It reports on the current practices of these libraries, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using approval plans, and the effect of increased library materials costs and library automation on such plans. It is noted…

Eighteen state-supported academic libraries, primarily in Illinois but also in other midwestern and western states, were contacted by letter (14) or by telephone (4) in order to obtain information on their circulation policies and procedures. Fifteen libraries responded by sending copies of their policies. Information was also collected by…

To check on the status of online cataloging developments in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions in 1983, a brief questionnaire was sent to ARL libraries that had indicated or reported some progress toward an online catalog. The sample was not intended to be representative of all ARL libraries, and it did not necessarily…

An Association of Research Libraries (ARL) telephone survey indicated that staff associations in many large academic and research libraries have developed into distinct action-oriented groups. This appears to be due to a combination of factors including increased staff interest in the library decision-making process, the emergence on changed forms…

Responses to a one-page questionnaire on library security were received from 89 of 117 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions (76%). The questions, which covered administrative security control, security policies and procedures, permanent identification of library materials, and swift responses to possible theft were derived from a…

A 1977 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey of member institutions concerning book losses and theft detection systems found that more than half of the 90 respondents had installed or were installing electronic security systems (ESS's). This kit on theft detection and prevention in academic libraries contains: (1) planning documents from…

This collection contains data from a 1976 survey on organization, staffing, and operation of the gifts and exchange functions of member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and 26 primary source documents. Source documents in the kit include: (1) annual reports from Columbia University, University of North Carolina, and Ohio…

This kit on resource allocation in academic and research libraries contains nine primary source documents and a concise summary of a 1976 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey on management of fiscal spending activities in ARL libraries. Based on responses from 70 libraries, the summary discusses 3 specific subjects within the general…

This kit presents the results of a survey conducted by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in 1974 to investigate and document various experiences of academic and research libraries in reclassifying portions of collections or entire collections and the relationship between libraries' particular classification schemes on effective…

Responses from 54 libraries to a 1977 survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions and interviews by Office of Management Studies staff members who visited another 15 indicated that 20 of the 69 libraries had and made use of a written collection development policy. Eight others reported that such a policy was being…

Results of a 1978 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey indicated that 68 (89%) of responding libraries utilized an automated cataloging system. Of those 68, 53 participated in the Ohio College Library Center (OCLC), five in BALLOTS, and the rest in other networks or local systems. At the beginning of this collection, a concise summary…

A 1979 Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) survey on special collections in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions focuses on centralized departments that handle rare books, manuscripts, archives, and author-subject collections. Statistical results from 66 survey replies reporting on the staffing, size, and expenditures of…

A 1979 Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) survey investigated the development, management, and staffing of microform collections in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions. Survey results indicate that the major types of microform holdings are government publications, large publishers' sets, and back runs of…

In December of 1985 the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) conducted a survey of its 105 academic members to determine which libraries were acquiring and circulating microcomputer software and what policy guidelines were regulating this library function. Of the 74 libraries that responded, 72 indicated they were acquiring microcomputer…

This collection of 26 documents on internships for entry-level professionals and personnel exchange programs for practicing librarians in university and research libraries includes internship guidelines, program plans, policy statements, summaries of in-house surveys on internship programs, and copies of questionnaires on library internships from…