"ARL" is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). "ARL" reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff and users; higher…

Examines changes in emphasis on collection development and conservation in both library and archival materials in recent years, and outlines evaluative criteria and priorities to be used in formulating collection management policy. (CLB)

This report discusses the ways in which artifacts and their physical frailties affect their research value--originality, faithfulness, fixity, and stability--over time and how libraries can minimize the risk of unacceptable loss of that value. It investigates the specific issues around selected media, such as paper-based printed matter, moving…

This paper analyzes the major national plans for preservation programs in the United States from 1954 to 1985 and shows the extent to which aspects of these plans have been achieved by academic libraries. Plans presented to and commissioned by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) between 1954 and 1972 are examined; the formation of the…

Reviews the 1987 literature on library materials preservation. The 145-item bibliography lists works on (1) advocacy groups; (2) cooperative preservation; (3) conferences; (4) funding; (5) training; (6) preservation materials; (7) environment and care of materials; (8) conservation treatments; (9) deacidification; (10) reformatting; (11) disaster…

Review of the 1987 literature on library technical services covers research on: (1) cataloging; (2) subject analysis; (3) authority control; (4) use of the online catalog; (5) acquisitions; and (6) library preservation. The review is limited to studies with a clearly defined research methodology, primarily field studies or survey research. (38…

Presents four challenges faced by libraries and proposes research designs to address each of them. The challenges involve: invisible infrastructure; content and collections; preservation and access; and institutional boundaries. Proposes a mixture of research methods that includes surveys, case studies, documentary analyses, and policy analyses.…

Reviews research published between 1988 and 1991 in technical services in the areas of acquisitions, including automation, costs, and vendor analysis; authority control; automation; cataloging, including costs and time analysis, rules and theory, expert systems, online catalogs, and shared cataloging; classification; preservation; serials; subject…