Discusses the theoretical value of national bibliographies as a library material selection tool and evaluates African national bibliographies using four criteria--comprehensiveness, thorough and reliable bibliographic data, currency, and directory of publishers. It is concluded that there is a significant gap between the theoretical and actual…

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:…

Reviews significant articles on various aspects of serials work appearing during 1988. Discussion of the articles is organized by the following topics: pricing; union listing and the holdings standard; serials cataloging; automated systems; electronic developments; publishing; subscription agents; collection management; developments outside the…

Discusses the importance of microform reviews as a tool for library collection development and offers advice to microform reviewers. A formula for microform evaluation is presented which covers intellectual content, institutional need, price, bibliographic control, and technical quality and format. (five references) (CLB)

Reviews previously proposed schemes of classical rationality in book selection, describes new approaches to rational choice behavior, and presents a model of book selection based on bounded rationality in a garbage can decision process. The role of tacit knowledge and symbolic content in the selection process are also discussed. (102 references)…

Reviews this collection of essays by leading figures in library collection development, edited by Peggy Johnson and Sheila S. Intner. States that this book "deserves the attention of curriculum planners." (JMV)

Study of library holdings on OCLC compared with book reviews listed in "Book Review Index" showed a positive correlation between the number of reviews a book received and the number of libraries holding it. Positive and negative reviews were not differentiated, and the correlation was strongest with general and science fiction, weakest…

Describes the "Library Power" project designed to bring together teachers and librarians in an effort to provide quality language arts instruction to "special populations" in over 100 schools in New York City. (RS)

Discusses vendor approval plans for library collection development and describes uses of various vendor plans by public libraries. Opening day collection services are described, vendor's book inventory databases are explained, title selection and the use of book reviews is discussed, and problems with out-of-print titles are considered. (LRW)

Presents sources of United Nations information that may serve as a collection development guide for librarians. The distinction between United Nations publications and documents is discussed, and publications are listed in the categories of basic information sources, indexes, treaty sources, and statistical sources. (LRW)

Traces the evolution of the Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication (CIP) program and discusses its value to libraries, including its use for cataloging, acquisitions, and collection development. Perspectives from participating publishers are given, future possibilities are discussed, and a sidebar describes problems with CIP. (LRW)

Discusses factors involved in journal competition such as price, volume of literature, the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors, as well as foreign literature quality. Presents results of a study to gauge the stability of impact factor leadership in physical sciences journals by identifying the top 100 journals in 1983 and 1993. (Author/JKP)

Describes the acquisition of the archives of the late dancer/choreographer Martha Graham. Discusses the Library's financial support of Graham's classic ballet, "Appalachian Spring"; Graham's influence on dance; negotiations for the archives; materials in the archives; a commemorative performance; and the Martha Graham Legacy Project…

Includes citations to five articles written by Charles Bunge related to reference sources and provides an overview of his views on reference materials. Highlights include sources with the most information; images and illustrative material, especially in light of technology; and collection development, including reviewing tools. (LRW)

The Saint Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center School of Nursing Library has a strong collection of nursing and nursing management journals. With the rising subscription costs of periodicals, it was necessary to evaluate the collection of periodicals. This study was done to evaluate the periodicals that the library has in paper form. The study…