General

A review of the acquisition of whole collections to libraries during the period 1940-70 as reported in College and Research Libraries and College and Research Libraries News, involving 1,454 collections and 301 libraries, showed that the acquisition of the collections was not equally distributed among libraries. In the total sample, 148 (49%) of the libraries reported adding only one collection, while 45 (15%) reported adding 10 or more.         (Source)

 Academic

 A review reported in 1975 of the acquisition of whole collections to libraries during the period 1940-70 as reported in College and Research Libraries and College and Research Libraries News, involving 1,454 collections and 301 libraries, showed that, among academic libraries reporting acquisition of collections, the receipt of collections was distributed unevenly. 15% of the academic libraries accounted for 66% of the collections acquired by academic libraries. In more detail, 21.5% of the public academic libraries accounted for 66% of the collections acquired by that type of library, while 10.5% of the private academic libraries accounted for 62% of the collections acquired by that type of library.         (Source)

 Public

 A review reported in 1975 of the acquisition of whole collections to libraries during the period 1940-70 as reported in College and Research Libraries and College and Research Libraries News, involving 1,454 collections and 301 libraries, showed that the Library of Congress accounted for 77 (75%) of the collections acquired by public libraries. A similar situation holds for state libraries, with one state library (Virginia) receiving 10 (71.5%) of the collections received by this type of library.        (Source)

Dr. David Kohl

 "Libraries in the digital age are experiencing the most profound transformation since ancient Mesopotamian scribes first began gathering and organizing cuneiform tablets."

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