Examines the elements required to ensure the operation and use of special collections within an austerity context in order to develop a rationale for their continued support. Strategies for support are discussed, including the establishment of a strong rationale, the development of external funding sources, and models for cooperative efforts.…

Presents methods used to justify the need for additional library resources or services to school administrators based on the library's role in meeting educational objectives. Suggestions for gathering data for the assessment of library needs and presenting the results to administrators are provided. (CLB)

A secondary school librarian uses her experience to compare Canadian and Australian secondary school libraries in terms of educational philosophy, library role, staffing, budgets, resources, and library organization. (CLB)

In Spring 1991, the LRC (Learning Resources Center)/library at Parkland College (PC) was quantitatively assessed in terms of staff size, collection size, budget allocation, circulation, and space allocation. Adequacy indicators from fiscal year (FY) 1991 and FY90 were compared to those from FY88. In addition, PC's LRC/library was compared to…

In 1986, a study was conducted to examine the status of the libraries and learning resource centers (LRC's) at Michigan community colleges. A questionnaire was used to gather background on the colleges, and information on the types and scope of services provided by the libraries/LRC's, their organizational structure, resource allocation, and key…

Practical advice is offered on managing libraries during a time of declining resources. Librarians are urged to set aside the extravagant and empty rhetoric of the 60s and 70s and take a more realistic view of collections and services for users during the austere 80s. (Author/RAA)

A state-wide survey was undertaken in 1988-1989 to determine the status of the library media programs in South Carolina's public schools. The first of two phases of the study involved the compilation of statistical data reported to the State Department of Education by building level administrators on the Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) for…

This self-study provides an assessment of the mission, programs, and educational purposes of the University of North Alabama's Collier Library. An analysis of information related to the staffing, budget, resources, services, and institutional relationships of the library is provided, along with a detailed examination of Collier Library's ability…

This literature review focuses on methods for determining collection development requirements of a university library. Five criteria were used in the selection of titles for review: immediate relevance to university library collections and allocations; degree of emphasis on empirical methodologies; publication dates within the last 10 to 15 years;…

Fuzzy set theory, a mathematical modeling technique that allows for the consideration of such factors as "professional expertise" in decision making, is discussed as a tool for use in libraries--specifically in collection management. The fundamentals of fuzzy set theory are introduced and a reference list is included. (JL)

This discussion of fund allocation for library collection development is based on interviews with administrative officers of the Brooklyn and Tompkins County, New York, public libraries. It is concluded that no materials budget can be used effectively without quality service at the level where librarians bring materials and patrons together.…

Developed by Radford University to overcome the inadequacies of an acquisition allocation system based on faculty demand, this updated allocation formula considers factors of undergraduate credit person hours, number of declared undergraduate majors, graduate credit person hours, number of graduate majors, average cost weighting, importance of…

In their study of the usage demands placed on journal collections in academic libraries, Allen Kent and coauthors have not adequately considered the long-term variability of those demands in their formulation of a cost-benefit model for the management of journal collections. Though resource-sharing and the matching of periodical acquisitions to…

Presents a method of using library patrons' perceived needs for titles as a means of ascribing scholarly journal collection support and costs to academic programs. (Author/FM)

Cooperative collection development is discussed as a method of coping with rising prices for expensive and little used library materials. The experiences of institutions which have had success in overcoming difficulties associated with cooperative ventures are presented, and a program of 12 recommendations is suggested. Twenty references are…