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The Journal of the Australian Library & Information Association has published a special issue featuring papers from the 2023 Research Application in Information and Library Studies (RAILS) conference. RAILS serves as an important platform for library and information research in Australasia and the Pacific region, aiming to raise the visibility of research from this area and promote a more balanced and representative research environment. The papers in this issue cover a range of topics, highlighting the diversity of research activities and expertise in the region. The upcoming RAILS 2024 conference, with the theme "Making a Difference: Research with Real-world Impact," is scheduled for November and aims to explore how research can lead to improved outcomes for library and information services. [Extracted from the article]

The author discusses his past (1998) and more recent (2015) work on documenting the holdings of the historic collections of East Slavic Modernist imprints at the New York Public Library and Columbia University, providing a brief account explaining what makes the NYPL collections so unique. The author then takes the narrative forward, to more recent and ongoing efforts at Columbia and Cornell to build holdings of both Slavic and non-Slavic interwar Modernist imprints, most especially from Central and Eastern Europe, including Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A large number of the libraries'' selection of research papers are based on the quality and quantity of the papers selected. Most recently, a new mode for this type of selection appeared in the field of scientometrics. The Hirsch index provides new viewpoints to meet the criteria regarding the quality of journals. An understanding and use of the Hirsch index provides assistance to those librarians who wish to expand their libraries'' selection, find it important to maintain a higher quality, and want to develop the standards of their library. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Who Wants Yesterday's Papers? was a symposium organized by librarians and graduate students at the University of Maryland in 2002 to bring the debate about the future of print collections to campus. The symposium included academic faculty to strengthen communication with them about these issues. Besides reporting what the faculty said they wanted at the symposium, Carignan describes some of the trends changing research libraries in ways not anticipated in 2002, and some of the responses needed for continued stewardship of and access to print collections in research libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the reports "Creating Sustainable Assessment Through Collaboration: A National Program Reveals Effective Practices," by Kara J. Malenfant and Karen Brown and "The Evolving Institutional Repository Landscape," by Judy Luther on library practices.

This paper focuses on the role of Alexander J. Rolich (1923–2014), the first Slavic Bibliographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) Libraries. He was appointed as UW-Madison's first Slavic Bibliographer in October 1964 and remained for 37 years until his retirement in 2001. He was instrumental in guiding the development of the libraries' Slavic, East European and Central Asian collections in a period of rapid growth. It was estimated that the University's Slavic and East European collection had increased by ten-fold during his time as Slavic Bibliographer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based acquisition (EBA) programmes have been gaining momentum in academic libraries over the past 5–10 years. This paper examines our experience implementing one of these programmes at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. In 2019, The Alma Jordan Library of the St. Augustine Campus partnered with Wiley Publishers to administer the Usage Based Collection Management (UBCM) programme. The results at the end of this first year were very encouraging and therefore, the decision was taken to extend the programme for a second year, and it has been continued for a third year. This paper describes the process of selecting a provider of a user-driven eBook acquisition model, implementing the programme, and gathering usage statistics. An analysis of the data was conducted at the end of the programme, and then criteria developed and used for identifying titles for purchase. In the analysis, the authors explore the following: usage based on titles not owned, usage based on subject areas; return on investment to the library; continued use of UBCM- purchased titles. Also included are the benefits of implementing such a programme, challenges experienced, and recommendations for libraries wishing to embark on such a project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is trauma in how Indigenous knowledge collections in libraries are managed. This paper seeks to understand the tikanga Māori context of Indigenous knowledges management in library collection policies. A review of selected library policies from five major AotearoaNew Zealand libraries regarding collection development, tikanga Māori integration and specifically Māori collection content will be explored using a modified Mead's Tikanga Test (of 2003). From this analysis will be inferred the ways in which the various library policies negate or affirm tikanga Māori. This will be followed by a brief introduction to the model Ngā Matatiki Mātauranga for culturally safe management of Indigenous collections to be integrated into collection policies. This paper will draw from a Māori perspective, in Aotearoa-New Zealand. The testing of library policies from five major libraries will drive the findings to represent the state of Indigenous collection policy in Aotearoa and how best for Māori to distinguish our futures in libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a literature review of academic library collection activities related to the provision of streaming video content in support of higher education curricula. It reviews the budgetary, collection management, licensing, technology, and acquisition processes and associated challenges that the provision of streaming video content poses for academic libraries in offering this much needed content to their patron base. The authors present a recent history of developing academic video collections, the transition to and increased demand for the streaming video format, and the evaluations required of funding models and vendor supply models to make the availability of streaming video content sustainable in the academic environment. The article also reviews current and future research and planned collaboration which hold great promise in addressing the current challenges academic libraries face in offering streaming video content to their patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This institutional case study analyses 1723 sources referenced in five PhD theses awarded at Alphacrucis University College between 2017 and 2021. The purpose was to demonstrate that the library’s collection development policy is successfully guiding purchasing decisions in order to provide students with the resources they need to complete their research at high levels. Sources were extracted from each thesis and grouped according to type. Library holdings were then checked, revealing that, overall, 70.2% of all cited sources were available from the AC library collection. This research-in-practice paper shows that AC library’s shift in focus for its collection development policy is adequately providing required resources to research students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe paper aims to discuss ChatGPT and its role in academic libraries. It identifies the key areas where ChatGPT can be implemented in libraries to improve various services and the overall work experience of academics, along with the risk factors associated with ChatGPT. Research finds that ChatGPT can be aided with many library services such as collection development management, virtual reference services, digital information service and library discovery, research writing and publishing, research performance analysis and bibliometric services. It can be helpful for libraries to meet patron requirements, streamline the research process, and increase the efficiency of the library and staff. It reduces the workload of library staff to a certain extent rather than replacing the human librarians as various threats are associated with the ChatGPT, such as incorrect query responses, data protection, misuse, privacy, security, inaccessibility, limited technology comprehension and other ethical issues. It also discusses the limitations and challenges libraries may face while implementing the technology to impart various services. The importance of this study lies in the fact that it acknowledges the reality of ChatGPT and its limitations and how the library will be ready to cope with and deal with the technology in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management practices for paper map collections have evolved with changes in the modern library climate. In the past, management of “non-special” map collections were focused on efficiently processing and storing large influxes of materials. Now that fewer maps are published in paper format and more are available online, collection practices should reflect the increasingly special status of paper maps. The author examined numerous resources which together build an understanding of best practices for the physical care and management of a paper rare map collection in the 21st century. Resources consulted include publications, web resources, interviews with practicing librarians, videos, and observations made at numerous facilities. The purpose of the article is to guide collection managers in evaluating their own practices and facilities and identifying potential changes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper selected the library of the College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University as a subject and then surveyed four groups of samples: new-book replica rate, book-use rate, book-borrowed number, and number of books in the collection. Results were obtained by inspecting these data via the statistical methods of correlation and regression analyses, and two relationships were found: 1) the quadratic curve between the new-book replica rate and book-use rate; and 2) the power equation between the book-borrowed number and the number of books in the collection. Finally, after the new-book replica rate and the number of books in the collection were compared and predicted, respectively, this paper formulates a reasonable strategy for the library's hard-copy book purchase procedure. It would be helpful for the librarians who are interested in document resource developing or purchase of hard-copy books; however, this paper provides a method specific to engineering colleges. There are certain limitations in this paper, such as, the timespan of the four-group sample data is only one year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Librarians at a large, federally funded, multidisciplinary research organization sought to assess the value provided by the library's collections. One method for capturing this value includes determining how well their library's collections meet researcher needs, as expressed by the materials those researchers choose to cite in the production of new scholarly communications. A cited reference analysis was performed on the publications originating from the institution to provide the necessary data for the assessment, as well as to aid in the creation of a core list of journals which will inform future collection development efforts. This paper fills a gap in the library and information science literature by addressing the citation behaviors of researchers at a large multidisciplinary government research facility, a setting that has not been examined previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to study the scattered behaviour of the overall published output of library service quality literature. Different parameters have been taken into consideration to analyze the literature on library service quality. The bibliographical data of the total number of publications published on Library Service Quality (LSQ), during 1960–2018 were searched from the Scopus database by using the search phrases, "Library Service Quality", LibQual and LibQual+, in Title, Abstract and Keyword have been used with Boolean operator 'OR' on December 8th, 2019. The search query resulted in 290 records. The first-ever publication published in the field of library service quality was published in 1997 as reflected from the Scopus database. The data were analyzed to observe the year wise pattern of growth of output with citations per publication (CPP), most prolific countries, institutions, and authors. It also identified the distribution of citations with highly cited papers and further source titles were used to establish the linkage between research results. Analyzing authors, institutions and country of the publications, citations complete count methodology was followed. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Iran were found to be the leading contributors to the field, and the pattern of growth is undulating. The journal articles (228) were scattered among 80 source titles, and it connotes that on an average, approximately three articles were produced by each source title. Moreover, a detailed and comprehensive content analysis of all the publications of clusters formed in co-citation and bibliographic coupling networks was employed to get the in-depth knowledge of the trend in concerning literature. The present study is the first bibliometric as well as text-analysis research to assess the overall research output on service quality in the field of Libraries & Information Science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to shed light on the state of the Reference Collection in post-secondary Art and Design libraries. Recent trends indicate that the availability of electronic research tools is a factor in institutions dismantling their print collections; however, others have argued for retaining them for their convenience, low cost, and even for their value as training tools. This research seeks to determine what types of reference collections art and design libraries are maintaining, how they are using and promoting them, and what considerations go into their removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the major findings from a nationwide survey about sexual and reproductive health information services in public libraries. The survey was conducted between March 3 and May 1, 2022 through an online survey. The participants were library professionals who work in public libraries. This analysis reviews data from 179 respondents from 12 states. Most survey participants believe that their library needs to increase sexual and reproductive health information services. However, findings from the survey reveal the complicated nature of providing this information, including intellectual freedom and self-censorship issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A challenge for school libraries is the identification and management of electronic and paper resources that teachers and students need. Courtenay Middle School, on Vancouver Island, has begun to assemble collections of mediated online links, in addition to the traditional paper and video resources, and to ask fundamental questions related to ongoing collection development and the creation of communities of contributors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores some fundamentals of human perception, pattern recognition, concept formulation, and knowledge storage which suggest new opportunities to understand library collections and develop collecting strategies. Building from these principals, the author demonstrates how advances in digital technology may make it possible to develop a topography of library collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses collection-related assessment projects that were conducted in 2013–2014 by the University of Kansas (KU) Libraries’ International Collections librarians in cooperation with librarians for assessment and resource sharing. While these assessment projects were undertaken in an effort to strengthen the library reports for KU’s Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) grant applications, which were submitted by KU’s area studies centers, the results also have implications for collection development work. The article begins with background about the NRC grants and explains why and how these assessment projects developed. Highlights of results from each assessment project are presented in the following order: assessment of the research needs of area studies faculty and graduate students at KU; citation patterns (2005–2013) of area studies, and more specifically, Slavic and Eurasian studies faculty at KU; and resource sharing data for the Slavic and Eurasian collection 2011–2013. The article concludes with a discussion about how the assessment data inform collection development practices and decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Knowledge, as it has been shaped in the United States, is grounded in whiteness. As a result, maps and geospatial data can be particularly harmful in perpetuating historically and experientially inaccurate narratives of space. As stewards of knowledge, librarians are uniquely positioned to implement policies advancing antiracist practices. The following paper analyzes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in cartographic collection development, metadata, and instruction, and discusses the opportunities for librarians to employ critical theory in their cartographic and geospatial library praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As libraries commit to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, it is critical to measure the strengths and weaknesses of collections in response. Building off already established approaches of collection diversity audits, the author argues that it is possible to use MARC metadata to perform exploratory analyses at a large scale. This paper discusses the process of planning, preparing the data, and performing an analysis, following the trajectory of an analysis of the 2.8 million geographic subject headings present in the University of Toronto Libraries' MARC records. The tools developed during this project are cited and available for reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2020, the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries (Libraries), which includes a main library and four branch locations, closed to the public and quickly shifted its services to support remote learning, instruction, and research in response to COVID-19. We fully transitioned services such as reference and research support to an online environment and pivoted collection development to primarily acquire e-resources. This was a dramatic change in operations that altered the way faculty and students interacted with the Libraries and we wanted to understand how these changes impacted our users. The authors collected and analyzed data about the use of the Libraries' collections and services to understand user expectations during the pandemic, and measure user satisfaction with recent adjustments. The presentation and this paper summarize findings from various library data sources and survey results, and provide recommendations for prioritizing library services that best meet user expectations for the academic year 2021–22. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fiscal year 2004-2005, papers published in the Material Research Society's Proceedings series were the fifth most requested interlibrary loan item submitted by faculty and students at the University of Arkansas. This prompted the authors to determine if a purchase-on-demand scheme for items in this series, made without any subject specialist input, would allow the library to increase the strength of its collection at a price that was no greater than or lower than the real cost of traditional interlibrary loan. The study analyzes and describes the parameters of the data. Results suggest that this type of plan might be useful for libraries lacking a designated selector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newest challenge for archives located in academic and research libraries is an increasing emphasis on the problem of collecting and preserving electronic records. How does the archivist create collecting strategies in a time when much of the nation's business is conducted online? How is history documented without a paper trail? It is obvious that in the future, archivists will be forced to deal with the many intellectual and preservation issues related to electronic records and other forms of digital information. This does not mean the end of paper records in the archives; it simply indicates that the issues are becoming increasingly complex. It also does not necessarily mean that archivists will change their methods of documenting history, but will need to be flexible and knowledgeable about handling a variety of formats and media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The preservation of popular music has traditionally faced numerous philosophical and practical obstacles, but do-it-yourself archives present an alternative method that warrants further attention. As grassroots cultural sites, they largely resemble community archives in their focus on community in all aspects of collection and preservation. DIY is a response to mainstream organizational and production structures that encourages self-sustainability and community engagement. Translated to archival practice, this ethos can provide the appropriate handling of music, something so prominent in human society but often missing from the formal cultural heritage sector. In this paper, I will further define DIY, specifically in relation to community archives. I will explain the importance of DIY music archives and describe several problems they face. In the end, I will maintain that further research and care be focused on DIY music archives to ensure that music and the communities built around music maintain their due places in our collective history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the analysis of over 4,000 chat questions from 2019-2020. Each chat question was individually categorized into broad level topics, and analyzed using sentiment analysis. During the COVID pandemic, there was an increase in the number of questions about accessing the physical collection, and a large decrease in questions about using the library space. The overall sentiments of the chat questions were much more negative during COVID. Tagging and analyzing chat questions in this way can offer unique insights for all types of libraries to appropriately staff the service and best support patron needs in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collections care describes actions taken to prevent or limit the deterioration of moveable cultural heritage and ‘collections care documentation’ (CCD) refers to the recording and retention of information relating to those activities. This paper describes the findings of a survey and targeted interviews with staff from a number of U.K. museums, archives and libraries. The results suggest that, while there is much good practice, some organisations face difficulties instituting a framework for CCD which covers all their activities effectively. Large and small organisations have varying challenges to face; the former with specialist staff working in separate departments and the latter with staff who carry out activities relating to preventive conservation but who may not have specialist knowledge. An efficient documentation structure, which is resilient and relevant to the organisation, can support and improve communication as well as raise awareness of the reasons for and methods of preventive conservation. This paper looks at the reasons why even basic practices can sometimes be difficult to achieve and presents ideas for identifying and overcoming barriers. As preventive conservators argue that specified actions influence the long-term sustainability of collections the evidence that allows verification those claims needs to be retained. In order to do this, a greater focus on what data to collect and why will enable the sector to align CCD with specific research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Transportation Library (NTL) at the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) provides national and international access to the crucial transportation information that falls within the scope of grey literature, including the results of U.S. government funded research. Founded as an all-digital library in 1998, NTL's collections include full-text-born digital and digitized publications, data products, and other resources. All items are in the public domain and available for reuse without restriction. Since 2016, NTL has led the implementation of the USDOT's Official Public Access Plan issued in response to the February 22, 2013 Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies entitled Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research. This paper discusses the effect this plan has had on a grey literature library and the efforts to create and maintain a public access repository, as well as exploring relationships between repository platform, contents, and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional repositories have been established by most university libraries but their level of success has varied. Determining what belongs in such repositories has been the subject of some discussion but research would suggest that a broader rather than narrower compass is a positive approach to adopt. By seeking out a variety of content types, the library is able to initiate, renew, or redefine its relationship with faculty, departments, and administration, generating critical support for scholarly communication and repository initiatives. This paper provides examples of successful IRs and their scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the journey of one library to ensure its service continues to present online information in an innovative mode that provides a competitive option for successful searching. Based on information about user search behavior and the concept of information clustering, a new online product was developed. Designed and presented as a "smorgasbord" of focused topic clusters or subject guides, the product enables users to draw on the high-quality, curated content of the library's large research database without doing the work of searching and selecting. Topics were selected based on the sectoral expertise of the library team and the user interface built within the current content management system. A review of usage three years after release resulted in a refresh of the topic structure and significant reduction in maintenance effort. The overall journey has resulted in a new collection and a new approach, evolving both the skillset and the mindset of the professionals involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommender systems, a subclass of information filtering designed to predict the rating or preference of a user, are among the most successful examples of machine learning in action. Drawing inspiration from the benefits of using recommender systems for business, and their success in heightening the perceived utility of recommendations, this project was developed using Python to optimize collection recommendations and to help librarians make collection decisions using a recommender system. This paper illustrates several examples of building recommender systems using a variety of recommendation techniques to aid in the selection of monographs. It also points out possible future uses of recommender systems in libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring the accessibility of digital content is a priority for libraries. Digital collections continue to grow, and libraries seek feedback from users and use tools to diagnose and solve accessibility issues. As libraries grapple with this new landscape, they want to know where they stand amongst their peers, what mandates apply to their situations, and how library staff are being trained to address accessibility requirements, among other issues. In 2019, the LYRASIS consortium surveyed its large network of more than 1,000 member galleries, libraries, archives, and museums to discover how these member institutions are approaching accessibility. This paper represents highlights from that survey as well as examples of accessibility efforts from North Carolina State University Libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes how the Southern Illinois University Medical Library employed ArchivesSpace to create a searchable, online presence for part of its existing physical archive collection. ArchivesSpace is an open-source web based archival management system. The Medical Library, with cooperation from the IT department, used our institutional servers to store data, but users may also pay for third-party hosting. As this paper demonstrates, ArchivesSpace is inexpensive and relatively simple to set up and use and may be a good option for hospital libraries or other smaller libraries that are interested in online archival management tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research studies the fields contained in "Suggest a Purchase" forms from 100 university libraries, focusing on the data they can provide to subject specialists to make decisions about collection development. The research will consider whether the content of "Suggest a Purchase" forms may be used to aid subject specialists and collection development librarians to make decisions concerning the purchasing of books and other materials. Statistical evidence gathered through the "Suggest a Purchase" forms is analyzed to justify the relevancy of specific fields. The research examines whether patron-initiated purchases may offer data concerning collection gaps and trends in users' needs. The paper concludes with recommendations for best practices in the design and content of patron suggestion forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study examines the workflow of "Suggest a Purchase" requests at the University of Colorado Boulder. The author collected data examining requests from July 2017 to December 2018. This study considers whether subject specialists use information in the requests to gather collection development information. The paper examines the information contained in the requests to make collection decisions, based on the criteria: Department of the requester, Affiliation of the requester, and Language of title requested. The author examines whether these fields offer data concerning collection gaps and subject trends, which may facilitate subject specialists' collection development decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was presented at the cpd25 Conference, London, on 23 April 2007. It gives an overview of the development of the Open University virtual learning environment (OU VLE), using the Moodle open source solution. In particular, this paper provides information and illustration of the Moodle enhancement projects that are being led by the Library, and the new e-portfolio system-MyStuff-into which the Library is having significant input. The paper concludes by indicating how involvement in the development of the new Library website, called Open Library 2.0, and in the OU VLE, has benefited this work and the overall reputation of the Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based in the context of challenges faced by archives when managing digital projects, this article explores options of looking outside the existing expertise of archives staff to find collaborative partners. In teaming up with other departments and organizations, the potential scope of traditional archival digitization projects is expanded beyond the limits of a single institution. A case study of this principle is the collaboration between the Mark Twain Papers, the California Digital Library, and the University of California Press to develop TEI-encoded versions of elaborately annotated manuscript and published materials. Though not an example of a conventional archival digitization project, the Mark Twain Digital Project serves as a model of how to solicit and incorporate external experts into the design and execution of digitizing archival materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its establishment at the University of Iowa Libraries in 1992, the Louise Noun-Mary Louise Smith Iowa Women's Archives has sought to document the broad spectrum of Iowa women and to acquire collections that represent diverse populations. To that end, the Archives initiated special projects to collect the papers of Iowa's African American women and rural women. This article explores the benefits of such projects, the methods used to acquire diverse collections, and the challenges of proactive collection development when resources are scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper addresses the importance of documenting the history of traditionally underrepresented communities. It draws upon the author's experiences as director of the African American Women in Iowa Project, a collecting initiative launched by the Iowa Women's Archives at the University of Iowa Libraries and as curator of the Givens Collection of African American Literature, a rare book and manuscript collection housed in the Special Collections and Rare Books department at the University of Minnesota Libraries. The author discusses considerations for launching such documentation projects with a particular focus on cultivating strong relationships with donors of manuscript material. Archivists, regardless of racial, ethnic, or cultural background, need to assess their motives and prospective strategies prior to embarking on such documentation initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Librarians choosing to offer periodicals via electronic resources encounter many factors which influence satisfaction with the project. The purpose of this paper is to bring to the reader's attention the frequently overlooked areas of accuracy of information, extent of coverage of a journal, and updating of the coverage. These primary concerns are given much less attention in the literature than are fees, licensing agreements, and equipment. The writer addresses the question: Exactly, what is online? A determination of which electronic resource meets collection development goals and objectives must include an evaluative analysis of online information. The starting point for such an analysis is to describe the level of quality required by local standards of excellence and that which will meet users' needs. The methodology in this study began with the development of a checklist itemizing typical journal contents and publication information. The list was marked as notes were made in a page-by-page comparison of current issues and recent volumes with a random sampling of titles online. Information Access Company's Business ASAP and Academic ASAP, EBSCO's Academic 1000 and UMI's ProQuest DirectR were studied. Numerous areas to examine in a local analysis are discussed. Librarians should be aware that full text coverage may mean selective items are covered in full text. The review of titles covered should include a look at the quality and appropriateness of the titles for the local library. Searching for the largest number of titles provided on an electronic resource may lead one away from collection development policies which are just as important for new formats as they are for paper formats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Our prevailing models for library collections and collections cooperation emerged in the analog era. The electronic environment has changed the terms of both analysis and activity. This paper explores four aspects of the shift. The relationship between de facto systems and explicit cooperative frameworks, and the conceptual framework for library collections, reflect the mental models with which we structure our activities. Both require a new look. The Janus Conference, held at Cornell University in the fall of 2005, sought to recast the agenda for research library collections and cooperation in the digital age. The meeting's prospects and implications, as of the spring of 2006, are thus surveyed as well. Actual responses to these challenges, finally, are likely to play out differently across specific segments of our library community. This dynamic provides a final focus for comment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century holds the promise of a modern Renaissance in which traditional research library collections and services collide with the promises and realities of digital information and knowledge management. The most intriguing challenges and opportunities for research libraries center on the juxtaposition between the traditional library and digital information and knowledge management, with resultant webs of complexity. This paper examines these challenges and opportunities and raises questions of values and principles, missions and strategies, content and copyright, and methods and ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the application of Edward Tenner's theory concerning the unintended consequences of technological innovation to issues affecting library collections. Problems faced by librarians; Commitment of librarians to preserve original artifacts; Details on the critical problems of library resources.

At the organizational level, libraries focus on the development of physical collections of books and other materials, on the development of library materials by persons who are profiled in the selection, enrichment, organization, classification, cataloging and circulation of these materials, for stakeholders, who are primarily university students. The information technology programs used by libraries go beyond the physical collection of books, documents, and scientific journals, so we have a transformation of the library into the virtual world of the Internet. The advancement of libraries in the technological aspect has influenced us to have a change in the communication process between the library and the student. So, the purpose of this paper is to present the changes that have been made to the library in its structure, the programs they offer, the impact they have on the communication process between stakeholders, with a specific focus on changes that have been implemented at the AAB College Library in Prishtina, Kosovo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using survey data collected in 2023, this study explores issues around comics collections in academic libraries. In addition to gaining an understanding of the origins of several major academic library collections and current resource support for these collections and associated services, the study looks at the extent to which institutions are implementing measures for the long-term sustainability and preservation of these collections. The researchers found that the historic indifference to comics in an academic setting has resulted in the creation of hodgepodge collections with inconsistent approaches to collection development, staffing, outreach, and long-term growth. Considering the increased acceptance of comics in such settings, Flota, Thacker, and Larsen suggest that it is past time for institutions to be more intentional in planning and sustaining comics collections and services in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the use of electronic innovations by booksellers to enhance collection development procedures of libraries. Outline of electronic development in library workflows; Electronic tools aiding the collection development process; Pros and cons of electronic slip; Methods employed to help customers create an efficient workflow.

The realities of budgetary constraints, and a transformative digital world, point to a future in which academic libraries continue to expand demand driven acquisitions in order to maintain necessary access. However, legitimate concern has arisen regarding the affect this shift might have on the coverage and scope of library collections. The gathering of diverse perspectives, and subjects that support minorities may fall to the way side through the further embrace of DDA, buried in fulfilling the needs of the majority. This paper investigates the University of Utah's demand-driven acquisitions program and the potential for imbalance in the collection. Data regarding campus demographics and the DDA pool itself are considered. Rather than discouraging the use of DDA, the primary purpose of this research is to put forth tangible ways in which librarians can deliberately counterbalance the focus of DDA purchases in order to ensure collections remain inclusive and diverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic library is increasingly moving to majority online collections. As the number of ebooks increase due to the current ebook purchasing model most libraries use, libraries are more likely to be duplicating titles across packages and platforms. Many libraries do not realize how many duplicate titles there are between packages or how duplicate records affect the user experience. This paper examines four ebook packages in terms of duplication and suggests practical solutions for working with duplicate records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK Research Councils (RCUK) introduced an open access policy, and accompanying funding for Article Processing Charges (APCs), in April 2013. This article describes University College London (UCL)’s experience of managing its institutional, RCUK, and Wellcome Trust open access funds, and highlights its success in exceeding the RCUK target in the first year of the policy. A large institution, processing around 1,770 APCs in 2013–2014, UCL has established a dedicated Open Access Funding Team. As well as advising authors on funders’ and publishers’ requirements, managing payments, and liaising with publishers, the Team delivers a comprehensive open access advocacy programme throughout the institution. Researchers who have used the Team’s services show astonishing levels of enthusiasm for open access, and for UCL’s approach to supporting them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]