Treffer: Library Collection Development in an Electronic Age. ERIC Digest.

Electronic technologies and collection development are two of the top concerns in library and information science today. The challenges of integrating electronic resources and technologies into the process of collection development are many, and many-faceted. Beyond task-oriented considerations, such as the selection process itself, there are large-scale management issues, such as budget, policy, personnel, and technology. Three areas of collection development that seem to be the most problematic are selection, acquisitions, and inter-institutional cooperation. Several authors suggest comprehensive approaches to library collection development in an electronic age. One informative success story is the selection model developed at an academic library as a means to mainstream electronic resources. The model involves breaking the task into manageable units, developing expertise in selecting resources regardless of format, and anticipating impacts throughout the institution. An important component is a standing committee that reviews electronic publications. One model for cooperative collection development is OHIOLink, which is a consortium of 17 academic libraries; specifications for OHIOLink include ease of use by collection managers, regular provision of data for routine reports, and the capability to collect and analyze usage data across the system. In view of serious fiscal concerns in collection development, one author has outlined a seven-part agenda for rethinking priorities: planning, allocating, faculty liaison, cooperative collection development, evaluating, acquisitions, alternatives, and selection efficiency. (Contains 13 references.) (Author/AEF)