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.
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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
Advisors and Advisees Graph
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