Covers extent and distribution of American library resources, types of libraries, cooperative acquisition programs, microforms, bibliographic control, subject specialization, surveys of holdings, nature of research holdings, research library standards, collection development methods, and the future of the book. (LS)

Three major difficulties in establishing effective cooperative conservation programs are: (1) the problem of allocation of responsibilities for preserving individual items; (2) the lack of people adequately trained in physical preservation; and (3) the need for a national initiative in preservation. (PF)

Keeping back issues of serials on microfiche solves cost and storage problems. (PF)

Technical progress in transmission and microreproduction have created a need for drastic revisions in the traditional research library's goal of autonomy in serving the needs of its clientele. Trends toward viewing library collections as segments of a national resource are summarized. (JS)

Discussion of the Hawaii-based Law Library Microform Consortium (LLMC), a nonprofit interlibrary cooperative microfiche project involving several hundred American and foreign law libraries, outlines LLMC's history, organizational structure, operations, publishing record, marketing efforts, and prospects for the future. (EJS)