2 messages, 65 lines:

(1)---------------------------
Date:         Fri, 7 Jan 2000 13:18:25 -0600
From:         "Buddy Pennington" <buddy.pennington@ROCKHURST.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Selection of journals (was Re: free magazines)

When I implied that we should focus our collection development efforts on
user needs, I did not mean to imply that librarians were idiots.  I also
took a 3-hour graduate level course on collection development (I believe
we all have to to get the degree).  That said, we rely heavily on our
academic faculty for selection because they know their research and
education needs better than we do (and they probably know the needs of
their students better than we do as well).  The original comment was from
a public library librarian.  My comments were based more in that context.
Though, I do personally feel that academic libraries do need to involve
their users in the selection process more and to build collections based
on use, not simply size.  And of course, there is a large number of
factors that play into serial selection.  The importance of user needs as
a factor of that decision making process is, of course, up to the
individual library.  I would hope it is consistent with their mission.

Buddy Pennington
Acquisitions/Serials Librarian
Rockhurst University Greenlease Library
buddy.pennington@rockhurst.edu
#816-501-4143
<buddy.pennington@ROCKHURST.EDU>

(2)----------------------------
Date:         Fri, 7 Jan 2000 12:55:21 -0600
From:         Peter Picerno <ppicerno@CHOCTAW.ASTATE.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Selection of journals (was Re: free magazines)

Hear, Hear!!

P Picerno

Sara Tusa wrote:
> I was just about glad that this discussion was winding down until I saw
> two librarians comment that they did not presume to know better than their
> patrons/users about what to select for the library.  Dang, I wasted a
> whole 3-hour credit (graduate-level) on a Collection Development course if
> I don't have some kind of concept, and a more informed perspective than
> our students, when it comes to journal selection.  If you have plenty of
> shelving space and a large enough serials budget to support the ongoing
> subscription of popular magazines, then by all means, keep the freebies
> and pick up the tab for next year.  Some of us have to be more selective.
> I can't see going with popular demand when we are having to cancel
> academic/research journals in order to be able to keep buying at least a
> nominal number of monographs, but if others have the budget for it, and
> someone isn't having to use Interlibrary Loan for his term paper while
> another student is enjoying the current issue of YM, then someone needs to
> scrutinize his/her priorities in serials collection development.  This
> argument does not apply so much to public libraries, of course.  I don't
> presume to tell a public library how to select their material.
>
> Just my two-cents worth.
> Sarah Tusa, Serials Acquisitions Librarian
> Lamar University
> Beaumont, TX
> <TUSA@ALMARK.LAMAR.EDU>