ABSTRACT
Collection development in the 21st century has become a balancing act for academic librarians. Deciding what to purchase in electric format, what to continue to purchase in print, and what to purchase in both formats becomes increasingly difficult during lean economic times and subsequent reductions in library budgets. The emphasis is decidedly toward, whenever possible, making the migration to a virtual environment. However, this task becomes difficult when you factor into the formula the fact that everything is not available in electronic format. Of those items that are available electronically, sometimes the print versions are superior to their electronic counterparts. And in other cases, the electronic version is richer than the print version and may contain multi-media applications. Print may be necessary due to usage, due to limitations of the hardware, or due to the intricacies of the systems software at your institution. Furthermore, for many electronic databases, the emphasis is on current materials, rather than archival coverage. Electronic databases may discontinue coverage of some of its contents, including coverage of articles from specific journals. How does the academic librarian accomplish the task at hand, continue to develop a print collection, while simultaneously creating a virtual collection? The answer involves compromise, keeping current with both technology and resources, and creating or re-creating a collection development policy statement that reflects both the library’s mission and the university’s mission.
