Textbooks, leisure reading, and the academic library

Abstract

Textbooks and leisure reading materials are two types of material that are not traditionally collected by academic libraries, yet many libraries hold a substantial number of one or both types of materials. The study reported here included a survey targeting academic collection development and acquisition librarians and an analysis of academic collection development policies. It investigated the treatment of these materials within academic libraries, including the reasoning behind library policies, the impact that faculty and students have on possible policy changes, and several contributing factors, such as the number of resident students, access to local public libraries, and institution type.