The Clique, a contemporary popular series for girls, has been criticized in the popular and professional media but includes thematic content similar to some of the more lauded mid-nineteenth-century domestic fiction for girls. By making a formal comparison of this popular series with domestic fiction for girls (much of which is now considered…

Materials challenges and censorship occur often in public and private educational settings. Private schools and their library media centers are not subject to the First Amendment but research reported in this article examines the state of challenges to materials held in private schools media centers in the southeast United States as a way to gauge…

Use of the physical collections and services of academic libraries continues to plummet, with some exceptions, while use of electronic networked resources skyrockets. This article frames the extent of this decline with a focus on circulation and reference among ARL University, Medical, and Law Libraries, the Ivy League, other associations,…

Article provided a checklist as a tentative guideline for the difficult question of how to judge the instructional media center. (Author/RK)

This study examined the feasibility of ordering an e-book (electronic book) to replace a lost or brittle book in the Kent State University (Ohio) library. The study checked a representative sample of 234 books lost during July to December 2000 to see the availability of the book in e-form, as well as the cost of the print versus the e-book…

Overview of the problems faced the acquisition librarian in 1969. (MF)

This article suggests sources of vertical file material and the limitations and potentialities of such files, and the importance of sleuthing and pressing for acquisitions. (MF)

Describes the elements of a selection decision model, and develops an outline for classification of library materials by source of origin. Descriptions of short- and long-term goals for collection development are included, as well as an outline of macro- and microselection decision making. (Author/MBR)

Each night, around 20,000 people--both adults and children--make the streets of Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh) their home. Living amongst the noise, rubbish, and traffic, thousands of families walk down the streets of Dhaka, looking for a safe place to rest for just a few hours each night. Trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, the…

"Forbes" recently reported that Americans spent $11 billion in 2008 on self-help books, CDs, seminars, coaching, and stress-management programs--13.6 percent more than they did in 2005. Why the uptick? According to a recent "Publishers Weekly" cover story, conventional publishing industry wisdom holds that personal improvement titles do very well…

The results of a survey of the New York Metropolitan Reference and Research Library Agency (METRO) and selected Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member-libraries concerning the selection tools they use the most frequently in acquiring new materials are tabulated in this guide. The categories covered by the survey are based on the Library of…

The 1986 literature on collection management is reviewed under six major headings: (1) general overview; (2) materials; (3) kinds of users and libraries; (4) evaluation and cooperation; (5) selection, acquisitions, and allocation; and (6) access, weeding, and preservation. A list of 251 references is provided. (MES)

Summary of kinds of microform materials available and sources, including both publishers and customer services. Lists suppliers, news sources, handbooks, and bibliographies for the field. (JS)

Provides an annotated list of adult nonfiction titles for high school libraries based on fourteen adult lists of best books. Presents the guidelines used in selecting books for the list. (AEF)

Presents an annotated bibliography of 24 best books of fiction, available in English, published between October 2001 and September 2002 for middle school readers, based on recommendations from a committee of adults and middle schoolers in the San Francisco Bay area. Discusses selection criteria and trends noted in books chosen. (LRW)