Logistical flows as an element of library collection management

Abstract

Library collection development is today being accomplished in the highly competitive environment. Therefore new approaches to this process have to be found. The author attempts to apply several logistical instruments. The author identifies information; documentary and financial flows in the process of collection development technology and substantiates their applicability theoretically. Managing these flows would enhance the processes of library collection development. Despite the fact that the “documentary flow’’ category has been used both by Russian and Belarusian librarians and library scientists; this is the first attempt made in Belarusian library science and in the collection studies; in particular; to apply logistical approach to library collection development; while the author takes precedence of specifying information and financial flows as science categories. The parameters of the flows are identified; i. e.: document class; type; genre; form; language and country; number of document titles and copies; financial characteristics (price); and dimensions and weights (document format). The financial flow; in its turn; is characterized by volume; time; cost and vector; while the information flow’s characteristics are: information generation source; information target addressee, and purpose of generated information.