Explore the vast range of titles available.

An important and timely recent article by Hans Zell on Nigerian university presses prompts wider questions about the state of Nigerian scholarly publishing, how universities in general and journal publishers in particular adapt, and how libraries access scholarly outputs. This brief response to the article seeks to widen the discussion and encourage further research and action on the subject. Un article récent et important de Hans Zell sur les presses universitaires nigérianes soulève des questions plus larges sur l’état de l’édition universitaire nigériane, sur la manière dont les universités en général et les éditeurs de revues en particulier s’adaptent, et sur la manière dont les bibliothèques accèdent aux productions scientifiques. Cette brève réponse à l’article vise à élargir le débat et à encourager de nouvelles recherches et actions sur le sujet.

In approval voting, individuals vote for all platforms that they find acceptable. In this situation it is natural to ask: When is agreement possible? What conditions guarantee that some fraction of the voters agree on even a single platform? Berg et al. found such conditions when voters are asked to make a decision on a single issue that can be represented on a linear spectrum. In particular, they showed that if two out of every three voters agree on a platform, there is a platform that is acceptable to a majority of the voters. Hardin developed an analogous result when the issue can be represented on a circular spectrum.We examine scenarios in which voters must make two decisions simultaneously. For example, if voters must decide on the day of the week to hold a meeting and the length of the meeting, then the space of possible options forms a cylindrical spectrum. Previous results do not apply to these multi-dimensional voting societies because a voter’s preference on one issue often impacts their preference on another. We present a general lower bound on agreement in a two-dimensional voting society, and then examine specific results for societies whose spectra are cylinders and tori.

This study examines cooperative collection development (CCD) for area studies and foreign language collections at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries, based on a 2020 survey. Respondents provided details about cooperative collection initiatives (CCIs) at their libraries and their attitudes toward CCD. Most respondents had a favorable opinion of CCD, citing access to a broader collection of materials and cost savings as primary reasons. Challenges include the work and time involved in managing CCIs. This composite picture of how libraries build collaborative collections and the perceived benefits and challenges of CCD will inform librarians and administrators alike as they consider how best to build area studies and foreign language collections.

Many academic libraries collect art exhibition catalogues and juvenile books to support the curriculum, but academic library review sources and book vendors have limited coverage of these niche areas. For more than a decade, Wichita State University has used purchase plans from Worldwide Art Books and Junior Library Guild to acquire print books. This paper discusses the assessment of both plans, how experience with this assessment has influenced development of an assessment plan, and reasons other libraries may want to assess their own niche collecting plans.

As we write this in July, it’s in the midst of record heatwaves and vacation travel, not to mention the start of the new fiscal year for many libraries. So it feels somewhat odd to be putting together our final issue of 2023. With that said, the amount of activity that’s already taken place by midsummer within Library Resources & Technical Services (LRTS) and ALA Core at large could fill a calendar year and then some. In pulling together this issue’s editorial, we felt it would be a good opportunity to get our readers up to speed with recent developments impacting Core as well as previewing what to expect in 2024.

Academic research libraries that build and steward collections in support of art research are always developing and executing strategies for their physical and virtual spaces, preservation, and access. NYU Libraries’ Institute of Fine Arts Library welcomes readers of a wide range of expertise, subject focus, and languages and works to make the library collections easier to discover and use in more creative ways in the pursuit of research, teaching, and learning. This work raises the question, whom do librarians turn to when they are responsible for subject areas or languages they may not know? This article concerns collection development at NYU Libraries’ Institute of Fine Arts Library focusing on the African American and Black Diaspora, Asian, and Latin American & Caribbean art collections as distinct collections within a larger art library setting. In addition, it provides ways libraries can implement collection development policies that prioritize materials by underrepresented groups and offer community engagement with partners focused on inclusion, diversity, belonging, equity, and accessibility.

Happy New Year! I enter each new year looking forward to the submissions I receive and also what information I will gain from attending the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting. Although I am an experienced and long-term library professional, there is always something new to learn and information to acquire. Networking with colleagues, both those new to the profession and those who are experienced, is wonderfully productive and draws on our collective perspectives. Attending professional conferences and reading journal papers are two ways to contribute to our profession. There are other ways to be involved, too, such as writing a book review, serving on a committee, giving a presentation (including webinars), teaching courses and/or providing training, or writing a research paper. Geography is no longer an issue, and many groups conduct their work virtually, eliminating some barriers that might have formerly hampered participation.

Purpose>The purpose of this study is to present findings of an approval plan assessment project, which analyzed circulation statistics for four Gobi Select designations: research essential, research recommended, basic essential and basic recommended.Design/methodology/approach>This study approaches approval plan assessment by analyzing three years of circulation statistics to determine which, if any, of the Gobi Select designations circulated the most.Findings>This study reveals that books designated as “basic essential” have circulated at higher rates than other designations.Originality/value>To the best of the author’s knowledge, no other studies have made use of Gobi Select designations to analyze circulation statistics for books obtained on an approval plan.

This study compares three different models for selecting e-books for a research library’s collection. From 2013 to 2018, the University of Oklahoma Libraries contracted with Elsevier for an evidence-based selection (EBS) agreement. The titles in that EBS package were compared to the approval plan parameters to determine which books would have been purchased on approval during those years if Elsevier had been included among the publishers profiled. Subject librarians also made hypothetical selections as though they were placing firm orders from this collection. The approval plan selections and librarians’ selections were compared to usage data to determine how closely each selection model matched patrons’ choices.