Content area
This study analyzed the changes in book collecting patterns of three peer groups: (1) members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), (2) participants in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Database, and (3) TexShare Libraries. Data were extracted from the OCLC/AMIGOS Collection Analysis CD for non-serial titles for the period 1985–1995 for 104 LC classification numbers and for seven language groups by imprint year for each peer group using the 1995-1998 editions. Unique title holdings by 104 LC classification numbers, for seven language groups, by imprint year for each peer group were also extracted. LC subject categories were grouped into three broad subjects: humanities, sciences and social sciences. Yearly changes, rate of change, and yearly average rate of change were calculated for LC subject categories, language groups, broad subject groups, and unique title counts.
ARL and OCLC peer groups had an average yearly rate of growth between 2–3 percent for the period; TexShare had between 1–2 percent. OCLC had the largest growth in the humanities, ARL had the largest in the social sciences, and TexShare had the largest growth in the sciences. The number of unique titles (diversity in the collections) increased as measured by (yearly average for period) for all peer groups: OCLC (3.76%), ARL (3.80%), and TexShare (1.64%). There was a 3 percent average yearly decline in percentage of non-English titles for this period.
The large number of negative title counts and rate of change calculations for the years 1994 and 1995 indicate that the acquisitions and cataloging lag for a large number of titles may be five or more years.
Although academic libraries have been reporting declining book budgets for a decade or more, the “national collection” continued to grow at an average yearly rate of 2–3 percent for the period studied (1985–1995). However, collaborative collection development could increase the rate of growth and diversity.