I know that collection development has been widely discussed in the
past but I’d like to reopen the topic, if I may. I’m a library student
at Drexel University in Philadelphia and plan to ultimately end up
working in a law firm setting. I’m writing a paper about collection
development issues in today’s law libraries and want to focus on the
availability/choice between print and electronic resources. I’d like to
structure the paper around personal anecdotes, and am hoping that some
of you can help me out. Essentially, I’m wondering what factors
influence the decision to invest in a resource and how do you determine
which format best meets the needs of the user base? How much does the
availability of one or more formats really effect collection
development? How has collection development changed over the past five
years? Ten years? Twenty years? What issues are relevant now and how do
you deal with them? If you choose to go digital, how do you explain the
empty library shelves to users/administration?
I appreciate any and all help. I’m trying to avoid a turning in a dull
paper and think personal insight can really help liven it up. Also, if
anyone knows of any pertinent articles, I’d appreciate hearing about
those too.
Thank you so much.
Susan Posternock
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