Discover how fellow professionals view the evolving world of information selection, maintenance, access, and delivery. Practical Issues in Collection Development and Collection Access presents discussions on a wide range of topics in the field. Readers may not agree with all the opinions expressed by the authors, but will certainly share the same concerns. Readers will be stimulated by the ideas generated by the authors and the solutions proposed to some the many problems facing libraries and librarians today. The book is of interest to librarians, vendors, and publishers. Chapters include surveys, studies, and first-hand accounts of "how we did it." The contributing authors, from the United States, Canada, and abroad, address diverse topics which include:


confusion created by choices in document delivery

arguments for the speedy acquisition of both free and fee-based electronic serials

customer expectations and vendor performance

the practical consequences of the implementation of electronic data interchange (EDI), its benefits, and its current status of development internationally

suggestions to ensure the future of university presses

an examination of the work of the Copyright Clearance Center

acquisitions and the South African experience

the method used by a Swedish university library to deselect serials

the 10 Commandments for serials cancellationsAdditionally, the book discusses changes in relationships among librarians, vendors, publishers, and systems vendors; publishing and the electronic environment in Europe; electronic data processing and reference works in science; and development of a "corridor of adequacy" in library acquisitions.Professionals in library science, along with vendors and publishers, may feel overwhelmed by the recent myriad changes in the field. They can take a breath, catch up, and begin to prepare for the future by reading Practical Issues in Collection Development and Collection Access.