Overview

This book represents an ongoing effort to fill the void in the library literature relating to collection development policies. The authors, whose experience each spans four decades as library educators and practitioners, created the book—as well as a forthcoming companion volume devoted to school libraries—to assist both library school students and professionals in the field in the compilation, revision, and implementation of collection development policies. Cutting edge trends such as digital document delivery and library cooperation are also covered. Furthermore, given the premise that a well-rounded policy reflects all activities concerning the collection management process—including the evaluation, selection, acquisition, and weeding of information resources—it is hoped that this work will also prove useful to non-librarians possessing some kind of stake in high quality library holdings, such as library board members, politicians, and administrators directly responsible for library operations, and institutional patrons.

Full Product Details

9780810851801

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Reviews

...examines the typical elements in collection policies (such as evaluative criteria, resource sharing statements, and acquisition methods) and offers many examples of each from academic and special libraries. A section on virtual collections (electronic resources and resource sharing) discusses the issues involved with nontraditional acquisitions. C&Rl News The book is well organized and easy to use...an excellent resource for both beginners and experienced collection management professionals...This volume would be a valuable addition to the professional collections of academic, public, and special libraries and is highly recommended. Reference and User Services Quarterly, Vol. 45, No. 3, Spring 2006 Hoffmann (library science, Sam Houston State University) and Wood (director of libraries, U. of South Alabama, Mobile) compile a guide for students and librarians on collection practices, incorporating issues and methods spawned by the internet and electronic publishing. The focus is on university, public, and special libraries; a similar book on school libraries is forthcoming, and both are scions of the 1996 Library Collection Development Policies: A Reference and Writer's Handbook. The first part focuses on creating a blueprint for a library's holdings. The second part (which includes a chapter by Jane Pearlmutter on resource sharing) looks at developments in electronic collections. The volume incorporates samples, contact information for libraries whose policies were quoted in the book, and intellectual freedom statements and forms. Reference and Research Book News

Author Information

Frank W. Hoffmann is professor of library science at Sam Houston State University. He has worked in libraries in Indiana, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania and has written over thirty books relating to librarianship and popular music, including more than a dozen titles for Scarecrow Press. Richard J. Wood is director of university libraries at the University of South Alabama and was formerly the director of university libraries at the Citadel and Sam Houston State University.

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