A Searching Sequence for College Libraries

It is important to determine the sequence of bibliographies to be searched for maximum success in correctly identifying books ordered for a college library. Each year, as the price of books rises and salaries of library staffs increase, the amount spent on the ordering procedure also goes up. This cost is determined by two factors: the time needed to search trade bibliographies for identifying information, and the number of bibliographies that must be searched to properly determine an item. This study focuses on the latter factor: the proportion of success among bibliographies searched.