THE RELATIONSHIP OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICIES AND MICROSOFTWARE COLLECTIONS IN SMALL ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: SIX CASE STUDIES.

摘要

A study of the presence of collection development policies as a growth or limiting factor on microsoftware collections was conducted among six small academic libraries. Four hundred thirty six institutions were surveyed concerning the presence of microcomputers and attendant programs for public use. Six case studies were chosen from the respondents; three libraries with small microsoftware collections, three with advanced collections. Conclusions drawn from the six case studies indicated that those libraries which planned for microcomputer services and addressed the software in their collection development policies, projected these services in a more organized fashion. Only two subjects of the case studies had policies regarding the acquisition of software programs in place. The other libraries either had no policy or were in the process of revising the existing policy. Those libraries which implemented collection development policies regarding software did have software collections that mirrored the collection development policy. Library leadership and financial resources were both important factors in the development of the collection development policies and the software collections.