Examines rare book cataloging from the perspectives of cataloger and curator; discusses the areas where a cataloger-curator alliance can affect cataloging, as well as relevant factors over which the two have little control; and promotes a concept of customized cataloging for special collections materials. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/MES)

An assessment of literature from journals, reports, and monographs on criteria for the analysis of academic library collections reveals that there are four primary methods which have been employed in the past and are still being utilized: (1) impressionistic, (2) bibliographic list comparison, (3) measuring unit costs, and (4) quantitative…

A statistical analysis of the losses due to theft and mutilation in the periodicals collection at Brock University indicates that security needs to be tightened. Nine suggestions for improving security are offered, and six references are cited. (CHC)

This discussion of the use of citation frequency data in judging a cluster or an entire collection of journals in academic libraries discusses the rationale for this methodology, and illustrates its application by examining citation counts in ISI's Journal Citation Reports (JCR) for periodicals in the area of communication research. The…

This paper on electronic books (e-books) in the academic library begins by defining the e-book and presenting general information on developments in the e-book industry, including collections of e-books that are accessed through the Internet and electronic editions of print books that can be downloaded to a proprietary reading device. A list of…

Reviews the most comprehensive articles on user education for microform collections in academic libraries published since 1976. Three areas of user education are addressed--promotion of microform collections, instruction in accessing the collection, and instruction in equipment use--and recommendations for implementing a user education program are…

This report documents the operations of a Virginia Commonwealth University library work group charged with investigating the feasibility of establishing a collection of municipal publications originating from the Richmond area. A brief description of the activities of the group is followed by recommendations in three areas: collection…

This report from the Senate Library Committee at the University of Pittsburgh evaluates a widely publicized study of monograph and periodical use conducted at Pitt by Professor Allen Kent and his associates from 1975-1977. Areas of the study which are examined include structure in text and footnotes, and experimental design, execution, and…

Describes a pilot project in automated storage and retrieval of library materials which uses miniload cranes to retrieve bins of materials, and an interface with an online catalog that patrons use to request materials. Savings in space and money and potential problems with the system are discussed. (CLB)

Proposes the integration of microforms with government publications as a logical administrative home for these two collections because of similarities in format, type of reference service and bibliographic access, and subject content. Staffing, level of service, equipment, and location and arrangement of the area for optimal public service are…

This document describes a collection assessment made of the Economics and Finance holdings at Ward Edwards Library at Central Missouri State University (CMSU). The assessment is divided into three parts: (1) books, (2) serials, and (3) standing orders/reference materials. In addition to standard collection development sources such as…

Discusses the results of two collection assessments conducted 13 years apart at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Both assessments focused on the central stacks collection, a repository collection serving the institution's 42 branch and departmental libraries. Findings provide insight into the results of deferred collections care and…

Securing adequate insurance coverage is an important aspect of preserving library collections. Insurers determine rates, within an institution's limits of coverage, based on the library building's environment and the library's estimate of the collection's replacement cost. Methods of categorizing and projecting these costs are explored with…

Prepared at the request of the Advisory Systems Committee of the Ontario Universities' Library Cooperative System, this report presents the results of study of the feasibility of a bilingual regional system for maps, or alternatively, the possibility of adapting the Guelph system to CARTESS. The report is presented in three sections: (1) a…

Describes the development of a retrieval system which used an interactive computer and an intelligent videodisc system to locate materials in the art school slide library. A survey of faculty, staff, and students indicated that user reaction was favorable, although image quality did arouse major concern. (MER)