The acquisitions process in research libraries: A survey of ARL libraries' acquisitions departments

In 1985, a survey of acquisitions departments in ARL libraries in the United States and Canada was conducted in order to: (1) describe the basic organizational structures of acquisitions work in large research libraries; (2) investigate the processes included in acquisitions work; (3) discern the level of professional and nonprofessional involvements in various acquisitions tasks, and (4) ascertain salary levels of acquisitions librarians. With a 91% response rate, the survey pointed out, among other things, a high level of professional involvement in non-professional tasks and a marked difference in organizational patterns for handling monographs and serials.