Reports the findings of a questionnaire distributed to public libraries that serve populations over 100,000 that addressed the professional information needs of librarians. Three major areas are discussed: topics for staff involvement on a national level; conference program formats conducive for such involvement; and major concerns of public…

Discussion of the growth of electronic texts in the humanities focuses on issues that libraries should consider regarding collection development policies for electronic texts. Existing texts and applications are described; markup, or encoding schemes, are explained; cataloging is discussed; and software issues are considered. (Contains 27…

Argues that a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures is most efficacious in library collection analysis. Cases drawn from the literature in which a combination of these measures was profitably applied are considered, and the types of software packages for purposes of data manipulation are discussed. (Contains 15 references.) (KRN)

Gives 10 essential tips for building children's collections, including using a systematic spending plan; applying circulation figures; making replacement purchases a priority; getting more copies and fewer titles; allocating funds for popular paperbacks; buying paperback fiction; seeking basic skills materials; taking advantage of vendor services;…

Lists 100 sources useful to school library media specialists to help identify important materials for children, including books, multicultural materials, nonprint materials, and special features; and for young adults in the areas of books, multicultural materials, nonprint materials, periodicals, reference books and electronic sources, and special…

Users (n=148) of an audio book library were surveyed to collect data for formulating a policy on development of the library's collection. The survey found a broad range of reading interests among users and differences in preferred genres of fiction between men and women. Policy changes made based on survey results are discussed. (Author/PB)

Reports on the IFLA Pre-Session Seminar on international issues in school librarianship (Caldes de Montbui, Spain, August 1993). Summarizes papers dealing with the role of school libraries in developing countries; selection and acquisitions; management and financial support; and country reports on the school library situation. Also includes…

Describes a process for creating a collection development policy for managing an environmental studies collection in a multilibrary system. The policy rationale, the process of developing subject terms, and the creation of a format for the information are covered. Ideas for handling a physically and intellectually dispersed collection are…

Discusses changes in the role of collection development staff based upon emerging library networking technologies. Addresses the role of library collections, book selection theories, and networked electronic resources in library collection development. Presents eight ways networked resources will change the procedures of library collection…

Explores past, present, and future trends of romance novels by discussing publication styles; romance appeal; ethnic romances; attitudes toward romance novels in libraries; and the acquisition, cataloging, processing, and shelving of romance novels in libraries. Sidebars list librarian romance novelists, 1994 award winning romance writers of…

Addresses issues related to implementing and teaching Mead Data Central's (MDC) Lexis and Nexis services in an undergraduate academic library. Topics include telecommunications, access, and equipment; printing; collection development; instructional issues, including staff training; structure of the database; publications and instructional…

Offers collection development suggestions for public libraries interested in materials on AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Sources of AIDS information are discussed; censorship issues are addressed; formats are considered; and an annotated list of 38 relevant titles in a variety of formats is…

Discusses the use of library management data, particularly circulation data, in making selection decisions for library collection development based on experiences at Louisiana State University. Development of a collection based on actual use rather than perceived research needs is considered, and the decision-making process for serials…

Describes a survey of academic libraries that explored serials collection assessment. Highlights include serials budget allocations; serials cancellation projects; changes in ratio of allocation by subject area; use of computers for serials collection assessment; use of vendors, especially for statistics; and future plans for collection…

Discusses 10 criteria to use when selecting traditional and contemporary literature for use with deaf children. Sharing literature is discussed; definitions of folklore are considered; and appendices list 55 traditional tales and 29 contemporary titles that are appropriate for use with deaf children. (68 references) (LRW)