Selecting materials: a review of print and online resources

Abstract

Selection is the heart of good library collection building. This article reviews a variety of print and online sources of materials in an attempt to acquaint librarians with new selection tools. Traditional print sources, such as publisher’s catalogues and monthly magazines, are discussed as part of the larger attempt to locate both core and specialized materials. Private and association online sites are reviewed. In addition, three sites for literature that are freely available in digital format are reviewed for their content. While these sources represent only a sampling from the plethora of those available, the scope of these reviewed sources may encourage new ways of thinking about locating relevant materials efficiently.