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Purpose – Chinese gazetteers are one of the most important primary sources for the study of history of Chinese economy, politics, culture, military, and science and technology. Since the very beginning, the Yale East Asia Library has been keen on collecting Chinese gazetteers. However, unlike its peer research libraries in the USA, the Yale East Asia Library had never compiled a catalog or written an article about its gazetteer collection. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review, for the first time, original editions of Chinese gazetteers held in the Yale East Asia Library to reveal the holdings and research value. Design/methodology/approach – The author conducted a survey of original editions of Chinese gazetteers in the Yale East Asia Library by searching the Yale online library catalog and comparing with existing catalogs of Chinese local gazetteers compiled by other research libraries in the USA. The paper focuses on the edition, coverage, rarity and variety of Yale's holdings. Findings – According to the author's findings and preliminary research, Yale holds approximately 337 original Chinese gazetteers. The majority of them is rarely found in other North American research libraries and thus has high research value. They cover almost all provinces and municipalities in China and have a great variety of types. Research limitations/implications – Although the author tried to use various search strategies to look up in the Yale online library catalog to ensure high retrieval, the results here may not be accurate. Also it is likely that a number of Chinese gazetteers are not recorded in the Yale online library catalog because of backlogs. A physical survey of Chinese gazetteer holdings at Yale and more research need to be done in the future. Originality/value – This paper is the first of its kind to provide a systematic review of original editions of Chinese gazetteers held in the Yale East Asia Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper seeks to replicate a study done in 1992 on the bibliographic availability of 55 popular culture periodicals sold by a Kroger supermarket in Royal Oak, Michigan. The earlier study asked the question whether time might be a relevant variable for the number of holding libraries. Design/methodology/approach - The authors searched WorldCat for the number of reported library holdings for the same 55 popular culture periodicals and analyzed the results. Findings - During both periods, 34 periodicals with holdings had a median increase of 58.4 percent; but, when the 83.5 percent increase in OCLC governing members during the same period was taken into account, holdings had a median decrease of 13.7 percent. For the 19 cases with no library holdings in 1992, eight (42.1 percent) now had library holdings, including several high circulation periodicals such as Marand Soap Opera Weekly. Practical implications - Popular culture materials read by many Americans are still not widely available in libraries or are not entered into WorldCat, the prime source for bibliographic holdings. Originality/value - This paper provides additional statistical evidence on the availability of popular culture materials in libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to introduce librarians who are not necessarily music specialists to four books on a subset of American popular song literature ("the American songbook" or "standards"), all of which assume some degree of musical literacy on the reader's part. This assumption sets these books apart from most writing on the subject, and the paper suggest reasons why this is the case. Design/methodology/approach - The books are grouped into pairs. The first two books are by a single author whose previous scholarship may make his interest in the American songbook seem surprising. In the other pair the second book is both a continuation of the first and a response to it. In both pairs the earlier book breaks new ground. Findings - All four books should be regarded as essential parts of a library's music literature collection. The first book discussed is more technical than the others, but its pioneering status makes it a landmark. Originality/value - The author's research indicates that the oldest of the books considered was not discussed in scholarly journals until many years after its publication, while the most recent appears to have received only glancing consideration in peer-reviewed literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explain the procedures taken by public library staff in response to extensive damage to a research collection due to a large natural disaster. Design/methodology/approach - Based on the methodology used by one research collection in response to a large-scale disaster, recommendations are presented in the paper for future disaster planning and creating an individualized disaster response. Findings - The study finds that each institution develops different procedures in the wake of disasters, and creating a unique disaster plan and response is key to the successful recovery of collections. Research limitations/implications - The methods used in response to Hurricane Katrina may not necessarily correspond to other types of disasters or all institutions; however, planning for all types of disasters is encouraged. A selected bibliography is included that provides current resources on the subject. Practical implications Methods utilized in the Biloxi Public Library's response to Hurricane Katrina and lessons learned may be applicable to other institutions and the future of disaster response and collection recovery. Originality/value - While recounting the impact of Hurricane Katrina on one collection, there are recommendations for the future of disaster planning at the institutional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate if collection developers in American academic libraries have added predominantly "yellowface" movies to their collections, or have actively sought out movies created and acted by Asian and Asian Americans, to balance out their libraries' collections. Design/methodology/approach – In total, ten acknowledged "yellowface" movies and ten critically acclaimed Asian and Asian American movies were chosen. The collections of 157 academic libraries throughout the entire USA were then surveyed, including geographical areas that have had very few Asians or Asian Americans in their populations throughout their histories. Findings – The results show that neither "yellowface" movies nor Asian and Asian American movies are overtly dominant in the collections of American academic librarians, and one can conclude that the collection developers actively sought to find a balance between movies in both categories, no matter the geographical locations of their libraries. Social implications – No matter how unsavory is our racist past, representations of past bigotry and discrimination should be available for scholars of history, cultural studies, and sociology. However, interpretations of Asians defined with this jaundiced eye must be balanced with movies of Asians and Asian Americans defining themselves. Originality/value – The area of Asian and Asian American movies is rather small and arcane, yet the results of this survey show that there are no academic areas too small or narrow that do not demand the attention of a knowledgeable collection developer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American Juvenile Collection, beginning in 1976 and continually growing, is an important Children's Literature Research Collection. It contains juvenile fiction, poetry, fairy tales and folktales published in the USA between 1910 and 1960, a unique period in publishing due largely to sociological factors. This 6,000-volume special collection, largely first editions, is distinctive and invaluable to both researchers and juvenile literature enthusiasts. This paper describes the inception, development, and current function of this collection, housed at the C.W. Post Campus Library, Long Island University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a historical overview of the creation of the New York Public Library's Picture Collection and its evolution from a physical collection to a virtual collection – Picture Collection Online. The Library built a unique Picture Collection 90 years ago to answer the users' needs for searching pictures from the subject point of view, a venture that resulted in a rich New York cultural resource. Today, the Library has once again risen to the challenge of a new information age to break the boundary of physical walls in order to expand its service via the World Wide Web to a global audience. From Picture Collection to Picture Collection Online, this article provides an account on what and how decisions were made to provide users with online access to a digitized version of the Picture Collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The libraries of the four CONSORT Colleges (Denison University, Kenyon College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and The College of Wooster) are working together to build a broader collection of library materials with less duplication. One mechanism has been the creation of a shared approval plan, developed in partnership with their approval plan vendor, YBP Library Services. Both the libraries and the vendor faced opportunities and challenges in developing a plan that would be easy to implement, accommodate the various internal selection and acquisitions procedures, maximize the use of vendor services, and support the project goal. The lessons learned and the methodologies developed by this experimental project provide a promising model for monographic cooperative collection projects in a consortial setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]