Trends in monograph acquisitions in UK libraries
| Date | 01 August 2000 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120010327614 |
| Pages | 307-315 |
| Published date | 01 August 2000 |
| Author | Ann Chapman,Claire Creaser,David Spiller |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Trends in monograph
acquisitions in UK
libraries
Ann Chapman
Claire Creaser and
David Spiller
Background
Within the library world, the inter-related
areas of acquisitions, stock management and
bibliographic management have undergone
many changes in the last few years. The
current financial climate means that libraries
are following more selective acquisitions
procedures in order to cope with budgets with
less buying power. Libraries, booksellers,
library suppliers and publishers are all
interested in how acquisitions and stock
management have changed. Some
information is already available: for example,
the average price of titles in different subject
areas is published in The Bookseller[1], and by
the Library and Information Statistics
Unit[2], and studies on weeding (Capital
Planning Information, 1995) and stock
selection (Capital Planning Information,
1998). The work that has been done has
looked at specific areas of interest or the
situation at specific institutions rather than
taking an overall view of the national picture.
It has also tended to focus on the present
rather than long-term analysis.
The UK Office for Library and Information
Networking (UKOLN), and its antecedent
organisations, has been carrying out the
BNBMARC Currency Survey continuously
since 1980. This long-running survey
(Chapman, 1996) monitors the availability of
records in MARC format from the British
Library British National Bibliography (BNB)
files for titles acquired by libraries in the UK.
In order to carry out the survey, from 1980
onwards, UKOLN has collected random
samples of titles acquired by libraries,
resulting in a relatively unique set of data.
The authors
Ann Chapman is Research Officer at the UK Office for
Library and Information Networking, Bath University, UK.
Claire Creaser is Statistician, Library and Information
Statistics Unit, Loughborough University, UK.
David Spiller is now retired and was formerly Director,
Library and Information Statistics Unit, Loughborough
University, UK.
Keywords
Public libraries, Academic libraries,
Collection management, Library materials
Abstract
A unique data set, recording a representative sample of
the acquisitions of public and academic libraries in the UK
between 1980 and 1998, has been analysed for evidence
of trends in acquisitions. Examination of acquisition date
relative to publication date revealed public libraries
buying little older material, and academic libraries
increasing purchases of older titles. Paperback purchase
by public libraries has risen, but remained more stable in
academic libraries. Public library purchasing reflects
current public interest in practical and hobby subjects, but
in other areas levels of purchase are at variance with
statistics of use. Academic library purchase is dominated
by social science material, disproportionate to student
numbers. Purchase price analysis suggests a trend to
reliance on interlending to satisfy demand for more
expensive titles. The findings raise questions about
current acquisitions practice and the influence of
publishers and suppliers; some further areas for work are
identified.
Electronic access
The research register for this journal is available at
http://www.mcbup.com/research_registers/lm.asp
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com
This study was supported by a grant from the BNB
Research Fund. A full report on the study and its
findings was submitted to the BNB Research Fund
in January 2000, and is now available in hard copy
from LISU and on the UKOLN Website, see
details below.
Chapman, A. and Spiller, D. (2000), Trend
Analysis of Monograph Acquisitions in Public and
University Libraries in the UK. LISU and UKOLN,
Loughborough: ISBN 1 901786 29 3.
Available from: LISU, Loughborough
University, Loughborough, Leics LE11 3TU. Tel:
+44 (0)1509 223071; E-mail: lisu@lboro.ac.uk
Price: £17.50 [UK post paid, overseas postage
Europe £1, outside Europe £2].
The report is available on the World Wide Web
at http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/bib-man/surveys/acquis/
307
Library Management
Volume 21 .Number 6 .2000 .pp. 307±315
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0143-5124
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