Providing Materials for Library Users

Citation

Sen, B. (2002), "Providing Materials for Library Users", New Library World, Vol. 103 No. 6, pp. 238-239. https://doi.org/10.1108/nlw.2002.103.6.238.4

This book is a welcome development from David Spiller’s Book Selection last published in its fifth edition in 1991 (Spiller, 1991). Providing Materials for Library Users reflects the increasing complexities of materials management and rightly focuses on the needs of users throughout the provision process. It is a practical text covering a broad range of issues, making it suitable for library staff with materials management responsibilities, or for library and information students both undergraduate and postgraduate. Practical examples are drawn on to support theories and techniques, mainly from school, public, academic and workplace libraries in the UK. The book includes extensive and excellent references that provide the opportunity for students and practitioners to explore topics in much greater detail. The references highlight the increasing amount and quality of research being undertaken in this field.

The book commences with the policy issues supporting the stock management function. It discusses the usefulness of collection policies. Specific issues regarding academic, public and school libraries are outlined together with general concerns such as censorship.

Moving on to budget management, the focus of the chapter is on how the library budget figure is reached and subsequently allocated within the library system. Resource allocation presents the library manager with increasingly difficult choices, some of which are explored, books versus serials; print versus electronic; ownership versus access; paperback versus hardback. Several of these issues are covered in greater detail later in the book, having complete chapters devoted to them, for example, paperbacks, serials and access versus holdings.

The stock selection process is covered in twin chapters, giving emphasis to the evaluation of printed and electronic materials and their suitability for the collection. These important chapters underpin the need for any library manager to make cost‐effective decisions in building a quality collection.

Ongoing management of the collection is outlined in subsequent chapters, covering maintaining quality collections through applying methods of stock logistics, stock revision, stock evaluation and performance measures. These key techniques in the stock management process are covered well in a practical way, supported by sound examples from working practice.

In the concluding sections, Spiller devotes discussion to materials requiring specific consideration. Key topics covered are serials, reference and research material, reading for pleasure, materials for children, foreign language material, out‐of‐print material, paperbacks, video and recorded sound.

The book, although having a broad coverage, is practical and readable, well researched and mindful of technology. It is technology, which continually shifts and influences user demands, our working environment and choice in many areas of materials management. The speed of this technology is fast‐moving. Ten years will be too long to wait for Spiller’s next publication on materials management.

Addendum

The book Eurojargon was reviewed in Issue No. 1172/1173 of New Library World. Although it was originally published by CPI Ltd (as shown in the review), please note that it is now published by Fitzroy Dearborn under ISBN 1‐57958‐274‐5.