Describes a study that measures and analyzes the map collections of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) using data from 1984 and 1988. Size of collections and growth rate are examined, and a composite index is used to rank the map collections to determine whether maps receive the same attention as other materials. (14 references) (LRW)

Examines the economic behavior of academic research libraries, arguing that academic research libraries seek to maximize universities' utility by expanding library collections. Findings are consistent with those from a previous study using a different ranking system and sample data and reconfirm that library collections contribute significantly to…

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…

This research extends the "Purdue studies" of research library growth, presenting results that include library statistical trends during a 35-year period, 1951-1985. It serves to update Purdue's 9-report series (1965-1973) and is a validation study of Purdue's growth forecasts, 28 of which were published in 1965, then revised in 1971.…

Discussion of cooperative activities among libraries focuses on cataloging of Latin American materials among research libraries. Differences in motivation for cooperation in acquisitions and in cataloging are discussed; and a study is described that examined which libraries were providing online cataloging, and differences between OCLC and RLIN…

The analyses reported here on the growth and change of medical school libraries are based on the annual statistics of 67 U.S. and Canadian medical school libraries, 1975-89, and 4 primary statistics from "parent," main campus libraries, all of them members of the Association of Research Libraries. The results show that medical school…

Designed to serve both as an activity report on Office of Management Studies (OMS) progress during 1987 and a catalog of OMS services and products, this annual report focuses on the management of technology in a scholarly environment. Programs and services are reported in five sections: (1) Applied Research and Development (the Institute on…

Designed to serve both as an activity report on Office of Management Services (OMS) progress during 1989 and a catalog of OMS services and products, this annual report focuses on the management of human and technical resources in a scholarly environment. Programs and services are reported in four sections: (1) Applied Research and Development (the…

This self-study was initiated at the Columbia University Libraries (CUL) to establish the foundations and appropriate mechanisms for the future planning, development, and implementation of public services at CUL. Following completion of an inventory and an interim report, which include background data on CUL, Columbia University, research…

This paper reports a self-study undertaken at Cornell University's Albert R. Mann Library to explore appropriate public services for an agricultural research faculty. The study took place over a 22-month period and involved a literature review, development of a questionnaire, administration of the questionnaire, an experimental period of…

Based on interviews with 29 librarians at a midwestern research university, this publication serves as a benchmark for what it is like to work as an academic librarian in a U.S. research university in the mid-1990's and considers changes occurring within the wider field of librarianship. Chapter 1 begins with a broad overview of the concept and…

Traces historical development of the John M. Wing foundation on the History of Printing beginning with its benefactor, John M. Wing, through the contributions of its custodians: Pierce Butler, 1920-31; Ernst F. Detterer, 1931-47; and James M. Wells, 1951-84. Focus is on the formulation and application of the collecting policy. (75 references)…

Describes the American Antiquarian Society, including its history, the evolution of its collections, and the relationship between its staff and readers that make it a leading humanities research center. Discusses the institutional culture and the development of a new area of study, the history of the book in American culture. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study that examined the citation patterns of 579 randomly selected citations from 167 French and German monographs published in 1984, and compared the findings with those of earlier studies of American and British humanities monographic and journal literatures. The implications for library collection development are discussed. (24…

Argues that preservation and collection development can be effectively coordinated only when the underlying political forces driving these two operations are defined and compared. The discussion explores some of the functions and values of preservation and collection development from a primarily political point of view in three contexts:…