Books and Bytes: Balancing Formats in Today's Libraries

The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and West Group presented a Satellite Videoconference on the topic of Collection Development, on Thursday, April 13, 2000 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Video Tape:

The live satellite video conference was recorded and is available on video tape. Click here to order the Satellite Conference on Video Tape.

About the Videoconference:

Collection development is, was, and always will be about making choices:  What to buy? In which format? What to discard? How many copies are needed? What has changed is the speed with which new products and formats are introduced.  Today, librarians rarely have the luxury of introducing new items one at a time, making sure that each patron knows how to use the new resource or media.  Widespread changes in the content and format of collections are made in relatively short periods of time; forcing significant changes in the way patrons gain access to information.

This program shows how to develop a framework for collecting and organizing the data required to make collection development decisions.  It will also aid librarians in developing a plan to institutionalize the process so that collection development decisions can be made on an ongoing basis, in the context of an overall collection development plan.

About the Speakers:

The lead instructor, Joan Axelroth, President, Axelroth & Associates, (Silver Spring, MD) earned her M.A. in library science from the University of Chicago in 1984.   She has over two decades of experience in the field of information management, first as a practicing librarian and currently as a consultant to law firms, corporations, trade and professional organizations and government agencies.

Public Library consultant, Carol Blohm, Manager of Information Services at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library (Arlington Heights, IL) received her M.S.L.S. from Dominican University (then Rosary College) in August, 1984.  She has worked as a Reference Librarian and headed the Advisory Services Department at the Highland Park Public Library.  In 1990, she returned to the world of reference and has served as the Manager of Information Services since 1998.

Academic Library Consultant, Diane Perushek, Assistant University Librarian for Collection Management at Northwestern University Libraries, has been at Northwestern since 1996.  She received her A.M.L.S. from the University of Michigan and has been deeply involved in collection development throughout her career.