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Dissertation Information for Oliver Thoburn Field

NAME:
- Oliver Thoburn Field

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1971)

ADVISORS:
- Maurice Tauber

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Alice Bryan
- Oliver L. Lilley
- Theodore C. Hines
- Luther H. Evans

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: ACQUISITION AND CONTROL OF BOOKS AND PERIODICALS IN FEDERAL RESEARCH LIBRARIES

Abstract:

This is a study of the acquisition and control of
books and periodicals in the research libraries of the
United states government. It includes an historical statement
concerning federal libraries, a discussion of their
major contracting programs, a summary or the laws, regulations
and legal findings which control their activities,
and a discussion of the areas chiefly affected by these
legal controls.

The material of the survey is drawn in part from
the findings of the Brookings Institution survey of federal
libraries of 1958-59. This is supplemented by reference to
regulations put in force since that year, and to further
information derived from two questionnaires sent by the
author in october 1967 to a sampling of librarians who responded
to the survey. The purposes of the questionnaires
were twofold: to find if conditions of which the librarians

had complained in 1959 still continued, and to find if
the service improvements which the librarians had considered
in 1959 had been authorized, since they were legally
permissible.

The study explores the hypotheses that dissatisfaction
with regulations concerning acquisition and control of
library materials is agency clustered, that there is greater
dissatisfaction with the acquisition regulations in military research libraries than in federal civilian research
libraries, and that the librarians in larger libraries are
more dissatisfied with the regulations than are librarians
in smaller libraries.

The findings of the study indicate conclusively
that there is greater dissatisfaction with acquisition regulations
in military research libraries than in civilian
ones and that librarians in the larger libraries are less
satisfied with acquisition regulations than are librarians
in the smaller libraries. The findings further indicate a
widespread ignorance among librarians of available remedies
to these dissatisfactions and an ignorance of these remedies
or an unwilingness to make use of them on the part of
federal procurement officers.

Based on these findings the following recommendations
are made which, if effected, would improve library
services, save money in procurement and maintanance of library
collections, and raise staff morale.

1. Library materials should be taken out of local
procurement channels used for other materials and placed in
charge of personnel informed and experienced in library requirements.
Procurement activities for small libraries
should be centralled in the General Services Adminstration
in a library acquisitions division which should also
begin a program of educating federal library personnel in
acquisition and contracting procedures. Large federal libraries
should be authorized to perform their own direct
procurement.

2. Since it would take t1me to establish the program
recommended above, these alternate recommendations are
made:

a. The Federal Library Committee's responsibilities
should be extended to make it a clearinghouse for federal
librarians' inquiries concerning procurement.

b. Current restrictions on binding should be revised, removing impediments to the negotiation of contracts
with commercial binders.

c. The General Services Adminisstration should exercise
its authority to implement existing laws which permit -
libraries to have standing orders, long-term subscriptions,
advance of publication orders and Similar service requirements.

d. The Federal Supply Service should prepare and
distribute an enlarged and current looseleaf handbook on
laws and legislatlon pertaining to federal libraries.

e. The Federal Supply Service should establish
short courses in library procurement and contracting for
federal librarians.

MPACT Scores for Oliver Thoburn Field

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:01:41

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Students under Oliver Thoburn Field

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None