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In this article, Katie Nicholas presents the findings of a very topical piece of research into the use of eBooks in health libraries, which she completed for a Masters dissertation. Katie graduated with an MA in Library and Information Management (Distinction) from Manchester Metropolitan University in July 2017. She would like to acknowledge the support of her supervisor, Rachel Delbridge, in helping her to gain a Distinction in her dissertation. In the article, she points out that the use of eBooks in the NHS is low compared to other sectors and she presents the findings from her research, which help to explain this. She outlines the development of an electronic tool to help library and information staff make sense of the complexity around eBooks and makes further very practical recommendations for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight collection development activity in UK higher education libraries and to place it within both a conceptual and strategic context.Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a theoretical approach to collection development and content strategy derived from literary theory to contextualise debates. It uses current examples from collection management within UK academic libraries.Findings This paper suggests that collection development is not exclusively a library practitioner activity but needs to be considered within a wider context that takes account of multiple strands of collection selection and management. Collection development cannot be considered in isolation but alongside collection management and in relation to content strategy.Research limitations/implications This paper includes consideration of the topic of collection development that is influenced by other disciplines, notably literary theory. This suggests that research in library science should include input from other disciplines.Practical implications This paper includes implications for content development within academic libraries that suggest that a re-focus at the strategic level of content is required.Originality/value This paper introduces a conceptual register to collection development outside of traditional library science models and posits a move to strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a brief historical overview of the English Folk Dance and Song Society in Great Britain and the resources and collections available at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. The author reflects on the merging of the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society in 1932. Topics discussed include the folk-song collecting of historian Cecil Sharp and the development of the collection through bequests, donations, and purchases of literature, sound, and manuscript collections from folklorists and collectors.

The landscapes of libraries’ print collection have changed significantly over the past decades. On an institutional level, libraries need to evaluate available resources, local researchers’ needs, and find the right balance between print and electronic material in order to support parent institutions’ development and growth. On a national level, we have seen different schemes being developed in several countries to support libraries’ activities in a time of change. When more and more libraries are adopting electronic-only policies, what impact does losing print have? This article aims to share United Kingdom (UK) Research Reserve’s experience so far and how the UK Higher Education (HE) sector dealt with challenges and uncertainties through collaboration and partnership. It also explores further opportunities within and beyond the UK borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines the workings of the UK Research Reserve, a collaborative initiative releasing space in Higher Education libraries within the United Kingdom, while ensuring the retention and availability of a national print journal collection. The method used to process material and identify holdings suitable for disposal is described. The salient issues in the process are identified and discussed, as are some of the challenges that have been encountered to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several abstracts related to libraries and librarians including one on open access publishing, one on electronic books and one on author-press-library partnerships.