If considered as a commodity, the periodical proliferation may be checked by the economically sound principle of limiting the size of library collections. (Author)

Discusses cost and utility of periodicals in school libraries and suggests ways to promote their use. (PF)

Reviews in detail the book reviewing journals of interest to academic libraries. A bibliography of current and useful selection tools is included. (PF)

Lower cost and less shelf space requirements have made major reference works in miniaturized print editions attractive to small libraries. The major disadvantage is the necessity of a magnifying glass for reading entries. A bibliography of reduced-size editions is included. (JAB)

Apportioning materials budgets is a collection development problem. Failure to grasp that fact has, for over 70 years, misdirected efforts to find a workable solution. (Author)

The article discusses the history of copyright laws, the directions which copyright revision can take, and the rationale behind revision. Regulations for protecting various media such as sound recordings, performances, and cable television are discussed. (JAB)

Traces literacy and library developments throughout the USSR; the focus is on publications in the various languages of the USSR, and on the role of the libraries in the dissemination of such materials. (Author)

On comparing lists of titles of journals ranked by citation counting with lists of the same journals, ranked according to frequency of use, it was found that the rank order correlation between the two was low. (Author)

Some selection guidance is given for librarians desiring to add better titles to their general fiction collections. (JPF)

Profile of library review journal "Choice" as it enters its twenty-first year highlights the pool of approximately 3,000 reviewers (recruitment, subject expertise); inception of the "Choice" concept; organizational objectives (to serve libraries with best possible reviews of scholarly materials); and recent editorial changes…

Suggests an adult nonfiction video collection for the librarian who is starting or upgrading nonfiction video holdings. Selection criteria are explained and guidelines for choosing vendors are included. Arranged by subject, the collection includes brief descriptions, and a list of distributors and wholesalers/retailers is provided. (EM)

This comparison of the most recent edition of the American Library Association's "Guide to Reference Books" with earlier editions discusses (1) purpose; (2) organization; (3) bibliographic description; (4) annotation style; (5) attempts to select major titles; (6) balance in subject disciplines; and (7) media sources and databases. (MES)

The Deputy Librarian of Congress responds to a Library Journal editorial on the Library of Congress' role in the development of the diethyl zinc process in preservation technology. Safety issues, DEZ as prototype, progress and success claims, deciding which books to save, and why DEZ should be used are explained. (EM)

Reviews the various Presidential libraries, then offers a detailed account of the holding of the LBJ Library. Encourages communications scholars to avail themselves of the presidential libraries' resources. (MS)

Presents 33 monographic and periodical sources as an introduction to the field of preservation and conservation. Preservation of library and archival materials is highlighted. Annotations are included. (EJS)