Circulation Policy in Academic, Public, and School Libraries

Circulation Policy in Academic, Public, and School Libraries
Author: Sheila S. Intner
Publisher: Praeger
Total Pages: 248
Release: 1987-03-23
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN:

Intner conducted a survey of academic, public, and school libraries in order to study circulation policies and practices prevalent in the U.S. From the data she gathered, it is evident that much in the circulation process is not patron oriented and that there are still institutions that make access to information difficult. She intimates that if library patrons were aware of the power they have, they could effect drastic changes in circulation practices. The book is of interest to all who use libraries, but it is particularly pertinent reading for administrators. Booklist This informative study is based on the responses of a sampling of academic, public, and school libraries to a survey conducted in 1983. The selection was made with a deliberate effort to include libraries of varying size, focus, and geographic area around the country, and three vitally important policy issues were emphasized: Who may borrow materials from the library? What may they borrow? How are materials borrowed and what process is followed when they are returned? The answers provided by the sample group to these and other questions are described and analyzed, and comparisons are made of the ways in each library formulates, reviews and amends its policies, and which plans are being made for the future.

Patron-Driven Acquisitions

Patron-Driven Acquisitions
Author: Judith M. Nixon
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 173
Release: 2014-01-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1317985257

For over a decade, some academic libraries have been purchasing, rather than borrowing, recently published books requested by their patrons through interlibrary loan. These books had one circulation guaranteed and so appealed to librarians who were concerned about the large percentage of books selected and purchased by librarians but never checked out by their patrons. Early assessments of the projects indicated that patrons selected quality books that in many cases were cross disciplinary and covered emerging areas of scholarly interest. However, now we have a significant database of the ILL purchase records to compare these titles with books selected through normal methods. The projects described in this book present a powerful argument for involving patrons in the book selection process. This book looks at patron-driven acquisitions for printed books at Purdue University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Illinois, as well as exploring new programs that allow patrons to select e-books or participate in other innovative ways in building the library collections. This book was published as a special issue of Collection Management.