This book, first published in 1998, examines formal cooperative collection development programs as well as nonformal agreements. It analyses the most effective mechanisms for establishing a cooperative collection agenda, including making the most economical use of library funds.

This book, first published in 1998, examines formal cooperative collection development programs as well as nonformal agreements. It analyses the most effective mechanisms for establishing a cooperative collection agenda, including making the most economical use of library funds; inadequate delivery mechanisms; and the effects of the Internet on the expectations of library patrons and how interlibrary loans can help. It concludes that a library's collection development future may lie in providing financial subsidies to fund large storehouses of digital records.