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.…

Describes a study at the University of Michigan that examined the extent of serials duplication among branch and divisional libraries, the portion of the serials budget made up of duplications, and the relationship between duplication and serials characteristics. Ways to avoid serials duplication are suggested based on the findings of this study.…

Discusses the practice of purchasing paperback books for small college libraries. Price, availability, and shelf life are considered, and it is concluded that budget-conscious collection development librarians should adopt the practice if they have not already. (Author/LRW)

Tabular data are presented on 107 university and 12 non-university research libraries' holdings and operating expenditures, providing information by library rank on volumes in library; volumes added; current serials; total staff; and total expenditures. A graph depicts percentages for operating expenditures. (DB)

Discusses selection policies for library acquisitions and describes a quantitative model that explains variations in expenditures by subject that was developed at Arizona State University. The link between policy and selection practice is discussed, allocation formulas are examined, and further research topics are suggested. (57 references) (LRW)

Rampant inflation in serials' pricing is forcing many academic libraries to initiate serials cancellation projects. If libraries plan carefully and involve faculty throughout the process, serials can be canceled without excessive damage to the collection or to the library's relationship with the rest of the college. (six references) (LAE)

Discussion of the rising costs of academic library materials and their effects on collection development focuses on the social science collection. It is suggested that combining the numerical weights used by the Research Libraries Group Conspectus to evaluate subject collections with estimates of publication production and changes provides a…

Identifies the types of individuals engaged in financial activities with whom an acquisitions librarian at a university library may need to interact. Discusses why financial relationships with these individuals are important to acquisitions librarians and how these relationships can be established and enhanced. (JMV)

Describes the in-house operational procedures developed at the Penn State University libraries to produce facsimiles of hard-to-locate, out-of-print titles using digital scanning technologies. Highlights include identification and selection, costs, copyright issues, interlibrary loan, materials preparation, and future trends. (Author/LRW)

Compares 48 features of four versions of the ERIC database, two commercial (SilverPlatter, FirstSearch) and two free (AskERIC.org, SeachERIC.org), to determine whether features of the commercial versions were worth the cost to academic libraries. Reports results of a survey that investigated user preferences, and concludes that value added…

Discusses the increased costs of library materials, the need for a new budgeting approach, and the impact of technology. The development of a library materials index that was developed at Ohio State University to provide a consistent source for measuring library materials expenditures against the marketplace is described. (Contains 14 references.)…

Discussion of collection assessment focuses on academic library experiences. Topics addressed include library accountability; funding shortages; barriers to collection assessment; strategies to aid in assessment, including adequate training and performance incentives; and implications of collection assessment for library budgets, including…

Summarizes three conference presentations on the effects of the economic climate on academic libraries in Iowa. These presentations focused on the impact of austerity budgets on collection development, library services and personnel, and possible management approaches to retrenchment in these areas. (CLB)

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…

Reports on a 1995 survey of Wisconsin academic libraries regarding collection development practices for languages and literature. Results suggest that faculty control selection; approval plans have not taken over from personal selection; and local demand is emphasized over presumed quality as suggested by review magazines. (LRW)