Scholars and Media: An Unmixable Mess of Oil and Water or a Perfect Meld of Oil and Vinegar?

Abstract

SUMMARY Reviews the setting in which nonprint materials collections have been housed and used, namely, the academy, and its traditions of collecting these materials. Compares older data on the state of nonelectronic nonprint media collections in academic libraries with more recent reports and freshly-collected data obtained in 2000 at the Eighth Biennial Conference of Online Audiovisual Catalogers, to see if any trends are discernible. Then, superimposes findings from a review of recent literature on the impact of the Internet on collection development and interprets what it indicates about the collection of electronic resources. Finds that traditional nonprint materials have not gained an important share of collections while newer electronic resources have achieved an important collection share in just a few years, and it is increasing. The developments facilitate the work of the institution and confer a positive value on librarians doing the job. Attention to materials in older forms of nonprint media continues to shrink as some become obsolete and others are digitized, crossing over into the world of electronic resources. If the trend to digitize traditional nonprint materials continues, it should have a positive effect on the accessibility and potential use of all media by scholars and teachers alike.