The Editing, Photoduplicating, and Distributing of the Research Library Catalogue of Boston Public Library Project, which is described in this report, was supported by grants awarded under the Strengthening Research Library Resources Program, Title II-C of the Higher Education Act of 1965 administered by the Office of Libraries and Learning…

The histories of two national libraries, the British Museum Library and the Library of Congress, are examined with respect to the development of each of three functions: (1) the acquisition and maintenance of a comprehensive collection of the country's publications, usually by copyright deposit; (2) the maintenance of basic research collections in…

A university library can and should be a center for individual access to all forms of research information media, both print and non-print. The author presents a summary account of an effort to determine existing needs at the University of Connecticut for non-print information resources and services under the following headings: the University of…

Comparative statistics are tabulated for volumes in the library, volumes added, current serials, total staff, and total expenditures for 113 university and 12 non-university libraries. The data are from the Association of Research Libraries. (LB)

Describes development of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, which opened in 1913, including the history of its research library. Library collections in support of biology and history and services to curatorial staff and other users are discussed. Director, collection and staff size, and main subjects collected are noted. (EJS)

No single library can hope to acquire and organize for use more than a fraction of the primary sources of popular culture. Interinstitutional cooperation in identifying and preserving these fragile records of American culture is underway, but many unsolved problems remain for librarians and scholars. (8 references) (Author)

Common policies, practices, and trends in acquisitions in the complex field of area studies, including the weak structure of the book trade, the lack of bibliographic control, and current cooperative efforts. (JS)

Anticipation of current and future needs of scholars should be a major concern of builders of research collections. This may result in a certain percentage of unused books; however, this is a justified and necessary expense if scholarship and research are to continue. (RAA)

Reviews the history, literature, and methodology of collection evaluation or assessment in American research libraries; discusses current problems, tools, and methodology of evaluation; and describes an ongoing collection evaluation program at the Stanford University Libraries. (Author/MBR)

A table ranking research libraries (both university and non-university libraries) that compares volumes in library, volumes added in 1987-88, current serials, total staff, and total expenditures is presented. (MLW)

Discusses the planning and implementation of a program to acquire copies of personal papers and federal records for deposit in the John F. Kennedy Library. The current status of the library's microfilm collections is described. (nine references) (MES)

Discussion of selection criteria for special collections in libraries focuses on the development of selection criteria at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Canada. The need for the involvement of staff members is discussed, and criteria for materials are described, including age, rarity, historical significance, and physical…

This study uses the list of periodicals indexed by "Alternative Press Index" to examine the holdings rates of alternative press titles in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. Results by subject clusters show low holdings rates. The impact on scholars, students, and library collections is discussed. (Author/LRW)

Discusses a scholar's reactions to libraries made by Umberto Eco in "De Biblioteca." Topics addressed include functions of libraries, including collecting; accessibility of materials; the scholar's creative use of libraries, and discovering materials not looked for or known about; North American research libraries; photocopying; and…

These six articles discuss collection level descriptions. Highlights include cross-domain issues; archive standards and automation issues; museum considerations, including metadata and Web pages, based on the Canadian Heritage Information Network; data standards for directories; electronic libraries in the United Kingdom; and the Research…