Literature of Acquisitions in Review, 2008–9

Abstract

In this review, the author discusses key trends in acquisitions found in the professional literature published in 2008 and 2009. During this period, the decline of funding for libraries led to more creativity in purchasing materials. The move from primarily print collections to more electronic journals, databases, and e-books became more pronounced. The Big Deals began falling out of favor because of shrinking library budgets. Workflow continued to change as skills required for print acquisitions adapted to the needs of electronic publications. Approval plans continued to survive in an environment where e-books were increasing in usage and popularity. The volatile vendor market escalated during this period causing consolidations of companies into “mega” companies. Electronic resources continued to create challenges for acquisitions librarians who were trying to find the best tools and workflows to manage the resources while also developing the ability to negotiate and interpret e-content licenses.