Patron-Driven Acquisitions: Current Successes and Future Directions

Book Details:

• Author: Judith M. Nixon

• Publisher: Routledge

• Edition: 1

• Binding: Paperback

• Release Date: 01-01-2012

• ISBN: 9780415661225

• Language: English

• Pages: 145

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches

About The Book:

For over a decade, many academic libraries have adopted the practice of purchasing, rather than borrowing, recently published books requested by their patrons through interlibrary loan (ILL). These books were guaranteed at least one circulation, making them appealing to librarians concerned about the high percentage of books that were selected and purchased but never checked out. Early assessments indicated that the titles chosen by patrons were often high quality, cross-disciplinary, and covered emerging areas of scholarly interest.

In this book, Judith M. Nixon explores the results of patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) for printed books at major academic institutions such as Purdue University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the University of Illinois. It also examines new programs allowing patrons to select e-books and engage in innovative ways to contribute to building library collections.

By presenting these projects, the book offers a powerful argument for involving library patrons in the book selection process. Published as a special issue of Collection Management, this work provides a compelling case for how PDA can reshape library acquisitions and better serve the needs of academic communities.