This report presents and explains new standards developed for Alabama public libraries in response to a need for a clearly articulated, easily used, and broadly based public library planning and development tool. Intended to provide an overview of the new standards, the introduction discusses why the standards were developed; their purposes; how…

In order to improve the quality of education and student performance, the Library Science Department at Northwest Missouri State University has revised nine of its courses to include competencies and performance indicators. This report lists eight course objectives, 14 competencies, and five to seven performance indicators for each competency for…

A review of cooperative collection development activities among Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions indicates that many are involved with local, statewide, or regional consortia that develop and operate one or more fairly traditional cooperative programs. This kit contains 11 documents illustrating cooperative activities:…

Considers the research value of four types of newsletters on arms control, disarmament, and peace: direct-action, informational, scholarly, and single-issue. An annotated list of 58 newsletters includes those considered most significant of their type and recommended for library collections. (EM)

A survey of academic libraries which were members of the Association of Research Libraries in 1983-84 studies the organizational patterns that exist for collection development. Findings reveal that, although a variety of patterns exist, the one outstanding development has been the upgrading of the unit responsible for collection development.…

A survey of 29 medium-sized academic libraries gathered data on collection development methods in foreign literatures including the language and academic background of the bibliographer; bases of selection decisions; acquisition rates for French, German, and Spanish literature as compared to English/American literature; acquisition practices; and…

Discussion of the need for automated library systems to provide management information to aid in decision making focuses on the automatic generation of reports. Examples of management information generated in collection development, acquisitions and serials, cataloging, online catalogs and circulation are described as well as possible uses of this…

Describes a methodology which analyzes courses described in university catalogs in order to produce a database used in the compilation of a collection development policy statement. Each step of the analysis is described, and tables are used to track sample data through the entire process. (CLB)

Current technological advances make acquiring and producing oral history records easier for librarians. However, they must be aware of practical, philosophical, political, and legal issues involved therein. Preservation formats include (1) audiotape; (2) videotape; (3) disc recordings; (4) film; (5) slides and audiotapes; and (6) microfilm. (CDD)

Addresses importance of online databases as part of library reference collection and focuses on bibliographic databases (ready reference, print versus online migration, bibliographic utilities); selection/evaluation of online databases (vendor selection, individual databases); full-text databases; numeric databases; end-user searching; and use of…

Reports on three companies that offer "on approval" books to school libraries; i.e., companies send books to be reviewed, simplify paperwork, and offer low prices and free shipping. Sales procedures, company addresses, and telephone numbers of Garrett Book Company, National Library Service, and Ollis Book Corporation are noted. (EJS)

This article discusses criteria of a good computer software package to aid the public librarian in the building, weeding, and maintenance of a software collection for young adults. Highlights include manuals or documentation; bells, whistles, and color; and the true test of time. (EJS)

This second in a five-lesson tutorial on library evaluation focuses on the evaluation of library collections. Highlights include the seven-step evaluation process described in lesson one; quantitative methods (total size, unfilled requests, circulation, turnover rate); and qualitative methods (impressionistic, list-checking). One required and…

Addresses factors to be considered in selecting library audiovisual materials in a time of increasingly complex constraints and operations. Suggestions offered include learning how to dig out facts that count, using unorthodox resources for evaluation, updating selection policy, and employing statistical and other measures to analyze patrons and…

By addressing the concept of merchandising, this handbook shows librarians how to turn their young adult collection into one that will attract teenagers. Delivering an introduction to marketing and merchandising concepts, the author shares years of experience as a teen services librarian, combined with the latest studies and research findings on…