Beginning in early 2020, public libraries in the United States faced unprecedented challenges presented by the outbreak of COVID-19, implementing several significant changes in response such as circulating physical materials outside the building, increasing access to library materials without requiring in-person visits, and expanding Wi-Fi access…

University College Dublin became the first library in the Republic of Ireland to trial patron-driven acquisition (PDA) as a collection development tool in 2013. A total of 42% of UCD Library's book budget was allocated to the project, which included both electronic and print books. This article describes the twelve month project from the tender…

Introduction: Our aim is to compare the advantages and problems of e-book acquisition identified in research literature to those experienced by two Swedish university libraries. Method: A literature review was used to identify the main issues related to acquisition of e-books by academic libraries. The data for comparison were collected through…

Library staff members should ultimately base their purchasing choices on the mission statements of their employing institutions. Fortunately, library mission statements have much in common. Undoubtedly, for example, all libraries have a goal that includes "serve the information needs of the community," because on some level, all libraries are…

Library scholars and practitioners have frequently reflected on the various factors that in combination make up a hospitable library, but there has been little theoretical synthesis of the notion of the library as a place of hospitality. The hospitality industry provides a rich vein of theoretical material from which to draw definitions of…

Circulation data from the Virginia Tech Libraries were analyzed to determine the extent of continuity or change between the author's study of the use of subject collections in 1982 and the present. Book circulation has declined, largely due to much less use by undergraduates. The overall profile of subject use has changed in ways traceable to…

Libraries need to weigh the benefits, usage, and cost-effectiveness of owning collections against seeking alternatives to deliver the information needed by customers. The University of Arizona Library investigated different approaches for meeting the research needs of East Asian Studies faculty and students under great pressure of physical space…

The authors examine strategic priorities for local studies libraries in the context of the interactive Web. They examine the implications for access, investigations and the needs of different users. The philosophy that has previously guided local studies is articulated as a number of maxims, taking into account also social inclusion and lifelong…

Reviews advantages and disadvantages of off-campus library materials shelving in the context of Yale University Library's planning for its new Off-Campus High Efficiency Shelving Facility. Discusses issues raised by the task of deciding what materials go in, who makes the decisions, how to identify what goes on, and how faculty are consulted in…

This manual formulates guidelines and serves as a policy document for microforms service at the Microforms Desk of the Government Publications and Microforms Department of the University of California, Irvine. Introductory materials include a description of the nature of the service and statements of its objectives and policies for dealing with…

Provides advice for systems librarians facing the question of when to provide CD-ROM access and when to provide online access to databases for their patrons. Discusses price, updates, effective resource utilization, and determining users' needs. (AEF)

Challenging popular prognostications and asserting that the complex mix of technologies projects suggests no clear path to the future, this book offers an alternative model to a simplistic digital future. The book is divided into four main parts. Chapters in the first part, "Being Analog," consider the need to get over the digital…

This report describes a study designed to assess the client and staff libraries at each of the 11 California Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Department of Developmental Services (DDS) residential facilities to determine their existing resources and their ability to meet the requirements of the changing facility populations. The study…

The impacts of technology upon traditional library resources are sometimes unexpected. The library at California's University of the Pacific discovered that usage of print materials was dwindling, even though the addition of a 50-station "Information Commons" had bolstered overall library use. At first it was anticipated that the…

Developing a library collection to support the curriculum of Canada's largest computer studies school has debunked many myths about collecting computer science and technology information resources. Computer science students are among the heaviest print book and e-book users in the library. Circulation statistics indicate that the demand for print…