Pattern of Collection Development in Academic Libraries in Andhra Pradesh: A Study

Abstract

Academic libraries which are considered to be nerve centers of academic and research activities must help achieve the academic goals of their parent institutions and this is possible only through developing adequate library collection and/or providing seamless and wider access to relevant electronic resources. Chukwu (1998) maintains that the major indicator of a good library is the quality and quantity of its collections. It is necessary for university libraries to acquire current and relevant information resources necessary for sustaining the teaching, learning, and research activities that universities are known for. This paper chiefly investigates the trends in collection development activities in university and college libraries. Further the contemporary changes in scholarly publishing and advances in Information and Communication technologies are posing challenges to library professionals in developing and making them accessible to the end users. This article describes briefly the impact of electronic publishing on collection development in libraries. It also examines the status and management of electronic resources in academic libraries surveyed and enlists the challenges before library professionals in the changed context. It also explores the kind of collaborative initiatives taken up by these libraries and the perceptions of the library professionals on collaborative collection development