Provides a bibliography to be used as a starting framework for a basic home economics reference collection. The 110 citations are arranged under the categories of indexes and abstracts, dictionaries and encyclopedias, and handbooks and sourcebooks, and the probable subject usage of each citation is indicated. (CLB)

Discusses academic library collection-development theory and policy. Suggests that a standard collection of works specific to each discipline (a canon), is a powerful tool because such canons can censor the works that fall outside of the prevailing norms, the hegemony of the discipline. (LRW)

Discusses results of the BYTES (Books You Teach Every Semester) project, a consortial study that investigated whether the same books were used for reserve readings at academic libraries and whether they should be made available in an electronic format. Recommends collaboration between libraries and publishers to supply material in electronic…

Not every library has a specific department or area to handle its gifts and exchanges. This function is a vital part of every library program. This presentation is designed to increase awareness of the valuable contribution that the gifts and exchange function makes to the overall library program. Some of the contributions of the gifts and…

Describes a study of 10 academic libraries in Nigeria that investigated collection size and devices employed in collection-building, particularly gifts and exchanges. Concludes that gifts and exchanges are only palliatives, not a panacea for the paucity of academic library collections. (Author/LRW)

Argues that preservation and collection development can be effectively coordinated only when the underlying political forces driving these two operations are defined and compared. The discussion explores some of the functions and values of preservation and collection development from a primarily political point of view in three contexts:…

The Utah Newspaper Project was completed in two phases: the planning phase which sponsored a conference and compiled a preliminary checklist from secondary sources; and the bibliographic control phase which inventoried in-state and out-of-state newspaper holdings. The public provided many missing issues. (Author/EM)

A survey of heads of academic library reference services gathered information on reference collection development. Findings included: (1) selection and weeding frequently are not guided by written policies; (2) empirical studies of use are almost nonexistent; and (3) online availability of sources is an important factor in selection. (20…

This study explores and documents the inclusion of American women literary authors in recommended lists that have been used by academic librarians as a main tool for collection development and evaluation. These lists have been the well-known standards used as guides for building a core collection in support of the college curricula. A sample of 40…

Although weeding can save libraries money, shelving time, and increase circulation, it can create serious political problems for college librarians. Proposes a method of compiling lists of candidate titles for weeding based on a comparison of recommended titles lists contained in three editions (1967, 1975, 1988) of Books for College Libraries.…

Investigates whether textbooks are appropriate for a college library collection. Discussion includes an overview of collection development policies; the definition of a textbook; textbook references; and selection criteria for evaluating a textbook=FEs desirability as a library resource. (28 references) (SLW)

Examines the role of the serials vendor in the collection assessment and evaluation process in academic libraries. Topics discussed include the subscription agency's resources, including databases; issues of quality, accessibility, and manageability; costs, both present and future forecasts; availability, including document delivery; and issues of…

Describes a project at the Yale University library to survey the duplicate and negative microfilm collection before transferring it to a new facility. Discusses issues relating to bibliographic control and explains the resulting changes in microfilm cataloging and processing routines. (LRW)

Discussion of the future of library collection development and the need for planning focuses on the technique of scenario planning and discusses the results of scenario planning at the University of NebraskaLincoln that examined collection development and digital information. (LRW)

Provides an overview of the College of Charleston's faculty/library liaison system and describes library and faculty efforts to maintain the computer science and English collections. Concludes that a liaison system can provide better coverage and higher quality than any other means available to small and medium-sized college libraries. (PEN)