Compares the approval-built collection with the collection which is created when traditional select and order procedures are used. The study was limited to 1974 imprints in four subject areas and utilized the services of two major vendors. (Author)

Replicating to a high degree the results of the Olsgaard profile of authorship characteristics in academic library journals, this study analyzed five journals of interest to special librarians to determine gender, geographic location, and occupation of author contributors. Results indicate that women are consistently underrepresented in the…

Editors of 33 library journals were surveyed to identify the number of unsolicited manuscripts received and published annually, and to examine the process for selecting those to be published. The findings reveal a high rejection rate (77.3 percent) with little reliance on external judges to review potential articles. (Author/JAB)

Suggests that libraries abandon full cataloging in favor of indexing, using the information provided by micropublishers. While a national index to the contents of microforms would be best, an alternative for local libraries would be to create their own COM (computer output microfilm) index. Twenty references are included. (Author/RAA)

This examination of the impact of the increasing numbers of published conference proceedings on the physics library discusses the nature of proceedings, collection development difficulties associated with them, and the particular concerns of publication of proceedings in journals. (four references) (EA)

Discusses issues of copyright and the transfer or use of intellectual property as they relate to librarians. Topics addressed include the purpose of copyright laws, financial losses to publishers from pirating, cultural views of pirating, the fair use doctrine, concerns of authors of scholarly materials, impact of increasing library automation and…

The number of books by and about blacks has increased, but there has been no corresponding increase in the publication of reviews and indexes for these new books. Among other things, librarians should pressure reviewing media to index and review more books by and about blacks. (JB)

Results of a 1969 survey by Carol Nemeyer of scholarly reprint activity in United States are reviewed in light of subsequent trends. Although replication of survey is not recommended, certain aspects that merit continued study are discussed with emphasis on the role of academic librarians in scholarly reprint selection. (36 references) (EJS)

Describes the nature of natural monopolies, in which subsidies are necessary to ensure adequate production of a good, and argues that scholarly journals form a natural monopoly. The natural monopoly model is used to explain how scholarly publishing can be a profitable enterprise, and the possible impact of electronic publishing systems is…

Explores the theme of self-censorship in libraries in relation to new technologies. Highlights include the results of investing in high-cost electronic resources at the expense of traditional, lower-status formats; the effect of information technologies on literacy and historical records; and market censorship, including centralization and…

A comparison of subject- and publisher-based book approval plans for academic libraries found publisher-based plans to be more successful for purchasing domestic publications, and subject-based plans for international ones. Library collections, organization, and vagaries of the publishing industry form the basis for selecting the plan which is…

Argues that recent dramatic increases in the numbers and prices of scholarly journals are evidence of a distorted economic marketplace for scholarly information. The discussion covers the strategies needed to reshape the current system of scholarly communication and the need for leadership within the research library community. (34 references)…

Discusses the effects of copyright law and the ownership of intellectual ideas on scholarly publishing. The effectiveness of copyright law for scholarly and academic publishing is considered, university-based networks for scholarly publishing are described, and problems with and possibilities for electronic journals are examined. (31 references)…

Analyzes the problem of journal price escalation as one of equilibrium between two market segments--the library market and the market for individual subscriptions. Argues that high quality photocopying has encouraged individuals to rely on library subscriptions and proposes that the socially responsible solution is to increase photocopy costs and…