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Purpose - This paper aims to summarize the importance of rare materials for academic libraries, including developments since the arrival of the internet and the effects of declining library budgets. Design/methodology/approach - The authors reviewed the literature on the subject coupled with their experiences with collection development. Findings - Collecting rare materials remains important for scholarly research, though harder to justify during a period of budget stringency. Academic libraries should discover creative ways to discover and add rare materials to their collections. Rare materials require special expertise in their acquisition, processing, storage, and use. Digitization is making rare materials more accessible but cannot substitute for the use of the originals in all cases. Practical implications - The authors provide a summary of recent thought on the status of rare materials in academic libraries - for libraries that include such collections or for those interested in increasing their holdings of rare materials. Originality/value - The paper provides a summary of recent trends in collecting rare materials in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the methods of diversity-related collection assessment useful for large academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach - Several examples of diversity-related collection assessment (circulation and use statistics, WorldCat Collection Analysis, comparison to standard bibliographies, focus groups, patron interviews and surveys, stewardship letters, and a diversity collection development statement) are explored. Findings - Libraries wishing to assess a collection for diversity should have a clear definition of diversity in place before assessment. Many collection assessment methods useful for determining the diversity of a collection are not applicable for large libraries. Additional tools may need to be developed to facilitate this type of assessment in the future, especially at large libraries. Originality/value - The paper encourages librarians at larger academic libraries to rethink how the collections are assessed for diversity needs, and illustrates methods useful in performing this assessment in larger institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to look at the nature of funding for collection development activities at Chancellor College Library, University of Malawi, and see how that impacts on the collection development activities of the institution. Design/methodology/approach - A case study methodological approach was used, coupled with a review of the literature, annual financial reports and acquisition statistics. Findings - The results of the study show that funding for collection development activities at Chancellor College Library was inadequate and that inadequacy of funding had seriously affected the library's collection development activities. Due to the prevailing conditions, the library had been forced to rely on donations and exchanges as the principal means of growing its collection. Practical implications - The study recommends some practical interventions, which, if implemented, could ease the financial difficulties Chancellor College Library faces. The interventions include lobbying for an increase in the materials budget, drawing up proposals for possible funding by both local and international organizations, and the introduction of a library fee to be paid by students. Originality/value - Research undertakings in the field of collection development in Malawian academic libraries are limited, causing a dearth of literature on the topic. This study is therefore significant in that it will help in some way in filling some of the knowledge gaps that exist in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — To trace patterns of collection development expenditures between 1994 and 2004 among Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) largest and smallest public and private academic libraries, to identify the impact of serial inflation, the emergence of electronic resources and changes in the monographic market upon the buying patterns of the largest and smallest academic libraries, public and private, in the USA and Canada. Design/methodology/approach — Analysis of the annual ARL statistics for collection development expenditures between 1994 and 2004, focusing upon the ten largest public, ten largest private, ten smallest public and ten smallest private academic ARL libraries. Findings — Libraries have largely responded to the revolutionary changes of the last decade very conservatively, retaining their commitment to monographic acquisitions and to their paper collections even as they have built new, electronic libraries. Research limitations/implications — ARL statistics present a complex picture, and libraries are not consistent in the manner in which they report their activities. The methodology does not seek a statistically precise model but seeks only to lay out a useful snapshot of library collecting patterns over the last ten years. Practical implications — Academic libraries have not yet fully confronted the issues raised by changes in scholarly communication over the last decade and still have many difficult decisions ahead of the, as patterns of the last ten years may be difficult or inappropriate to sustain. Originality/value — Provides a picture of collection development patterns of the largest and smallest ARL academic libraries that complements ARL's own analysis, which is based on median values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to help librarians interested in developing a basic understanding of Sub-Saharan African cinema and increase awareness of the resources available when building a collection of sub-Saharan African films for their library. A general review is provided to help become familiar with the history and nature of the four regions discussed. Design/methodology/approach - A collection development project to expand a mid-sized university's collection of sub-Saharan African films is discussed. Includes brief historical information and core titles, selected for their historical role and/or ease of purchase. Findings - A list of core films is recommended for academic and public libraries representing four geographic regions of sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria, South Africa, West Africa, and East Africa. Research limitations/implications - Unfortunately, many of the titles referenced in academic literature and winners of African film awards are not available for purchase outside of Africa, making it impossible to accomplish our goal of collecting a core list as intended. Practical implications - The paper increases awareness of African cinema and value inclusion in library collections. Originality/value - While there are general articles on the topic of African cinema, there are no recent articles on the topic of collecting African films for libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]