The Evolving Structure and Automation of Acquisitions

Abstract

One of the least studied, and least understood, areas of librarianship is acquisitions: the ordering, claiming, and receipt of library/informational materials. The traditional tasks in the acquisitions function have been very broad. Acquisitions tasks are labor intensive and until just a few years ago, all acquisitions work was performed manually. Although there have been arguments for decentralized acquisitions, to achieve efficiency and accountability, ordering, receipt and payment must be monitored by a single entity. This is supported by a 1985 survey of 28 libraries. Automation of acquisitions has been slow in development. Because of the slow development of turnkey systems, many libraries developed in-house systems, many of which are still in use. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Newman Library uses an automated acquisitions system which was developed in-house in the late 1960s. There have been many benefits, although the system has a number of imperfections. If there is a term t...