Book Selection in the College Library: The Faculty Perspective

It has been acknowledged in the literature of library administration and book selection that in a college library, the faculty play an important role in the development of the book collection. Lyle, in discussing book selection within the larger context of the administration of a college library, notes that “close cooperation between the librarian and members of the faculty is vital in selecting books.” He goes on to state that “in lieu of its own specialist staff, the library leans heavily on the faculty,” and yet “there is very little factual information on the methods by which faculty go about choosing library materials.” Carter et al. spent six pages on the role of the faculty in selection. They theorized about the faculty's role from incidents that had been called to their attention. Broadus acknowledged the role of the faculty but offered no theory or conclusions on their role in the selection process.