Describes methodology for analyzing MARC (machine-readable cataloging) records of highly circulating titles to document common characteristics for collection development purposes. Application of the methodology in a university library is discussed, and data are presented on commonality of subject heading, author, language, and imprint date for…

Six papers from a seminar on special collections in research libraries address special collections and the scholarly community; the function of special collections in research and education; services and development issues; the evolving character of special collections; special collections in emerging information delivery programs; and the…

Traditionally, archivists have been involved mainly in the intellectual preservation of library materials and the selection, appraisal, processing, and cataloging of library collections. Due to the relatively short (approximately 50 years) stability of the paper commonly used for printed and written documents since the mid-nineteenth century, the…

The purpose of this research was to look at the currency of the collection of a small public library and to determine the relationship between the amount of usage of the collection and the currency of publications in the collection. A 10% systematic sample was taken of the circulating nonfiction adult shelf list of the Franklin Public Library…

This study was conducted to field-test collection mapping as an evaluation technique, to determine collection standards against which individual schools could compare themselves, and to compare the collections in schools to nationally-recommended lists published by Brodart and Wilson. Questionnaires were sent to 120 library media specialists in…

This packet is designed to guide users through the steps that ultimately lead to the assignment of collection responsibilities for individual member libraries of the North Bay Cooperative Library System, Santa Rosa, California. An initial profile of the member libraries examined the subject distribution of books owned, availability of books owned,…

This report describes a study of the use of science and technology books and journals in an academic library which was conducted to ascertain whether journal use can be predicted by book circulation figures. The study background and significance are discussed, terms are defined, study limitations are considered, and basic assumptions are…

Reports results of 1985 survey of federal depository libraries in Illinois, including the arrangement of collections and bibliographic access, acquisitions and weeding, services and equipment, library and librarian cooperation, documents staff, State Plan and State Plan Coordinating Council, online systems and access to government documents, and…

Evaluating library collections by comparing them to bibliographies has a long history in research libraries. This evaluative study examined all 107 titles within the "Women in Botany" section of the Herbarium Library at The Ohio State University (OSU). The Herbarium is not part of the OSU Library system, but functions as a satellite to…

The materials included in this reference circular are recommended as basic resources for providing current information on general aspects of visual impairments and physical disabilities. The selections, based on the holdings of the Reference Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), were chosen for their…

This bibliography contains annotations of 110 journal articles on topics related to library collection evaluation techniques, including academic library collections, access-vs-ownership, "Books for College Libraries," business collections, the OCLC/AMIGOS Collection Analysis CD, circulation data, citation-checking, collection bias,…

Describes a survey of Illinois school library collections in astronomy, space, and the solar system; general biology and ecology; and human anatomy, physiology, and hygiene. The survey produced statistics on funding needs; provided a collection assessment tool; and determined whether libraries had resources for supporting state goals for science…

Discussion of library collection assessment highlights a collection analysis that was conducted in the Birmingham (Alabama) public school system during the 1990-91 school year to determine the age of the materials and whether the collection met the needs of the curriculum. Past efforts are reviewed, and the collection assessment survey and…

Explores how public libraries have dealt with the AIDS epidemic, examines the publication of articles on AIDS in periodicals and books, and reports the results of a survey of public libraries that was conducted to determine when and how librarians have responded to information needs on the AIDS epidemic. (Contains 11 references.) (LRW)

In this study of liberal arts college libraries, data was gathered with regard to programs related to diversity awareness, staffing, information services, and library collections. Discusses minority recruitment efforts, the survey questionnaire used, sources of funding for diversification of library collections, and the importance of college…