In 1942 an advisory board to the Library of Congress drafted a proposal for a national program of cooperation among research libraries, aimed at acquiring "at lease one copy of every book published anywhere in the world, ... which might conceivably be of interest to a research worker in America." And thus was born the Farmington Plan, which began operation in 1948 under the sponsorship of the Association of Research Libraries. In 1972 the failing plan was abandoned. This is the first in-depth study of the plans shortcomings and achievements.

Ideal for practitioners looking to advance their careers and for use in LIS programs, this "comprehensive overview" (Journal of Access Services) has been thoroughly revised and updated to provide a timely exploration of the characteristics of academic librarianship and its place in the ever-changing environment of higher education. Evans and new coauthor Greenwell guide readers towards understanding what is required to have a successful career in academic librarianship, explaining why academic libraries are distinct from other types of libraries and lending practical insight into their unique political and operational characteristics. The text offers comprehensive coverage of such key issues as teaching faculty roles and the status of the academic librarian;governance and the growing tension on some campuses between faculty and administration;curriculum, with a discussion of the balance between general education requirements and applied courses;the student body;collections, data management, digitization, and metadata;scholarly communication, plus alternative models such as open educational resources (OERs);providing quality service, and the role of user experience (UX) in assessment;ACRL's Information Literacy Framework;funding, including how and where to find detailed higher education expenditure data;classrooms, common learning spaces, and other facilities;staffing and professional development;technology and IT support;career development, with advice on preparing a vita and undergoing a successful interview; andthe future of academic librarianship. This updated edition enables readers to understand how academic libraries deliver information, offer services, and provide learning spaces in new ways to better meet the needs of today's students, faculty, and other communities of academic library users.

An incisive history of the controversial Google Books project and the ongoing quest for a universal digital library Libraries have long talked about providing comprehensive access to information for everyone. But when Google announced in 2004 that it planned to digitize books to make the world's knowledge accessible to all, questions were raised about the roles and responsibilities of libraries, the rights of authors and publishers, and whether a powerful corporation should be the conveyor of such a fundamental public good. Along Came Google traces the history of Google's book digitization project and its implications for us today. Deanna Marcum and Roger Schonfeld draw on in-depth interviews with those who both embraced and resisted Google's plans, from librarians and technologists to university leaders, tech executives, and the heads of leading publishing houses. They look at earlier digital initiatives to provide open access to knowledge, and describe how Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page made the case for a universal digital library and drew on their company's considerable financial resources to make it a reality. Marcum and Schonfeld examine how librarians and scholars organized a legal response to Google, and reveal the missed opportunities when a settlement with the tech giant failed. Along Came Google sheds light on the transformational effects of the Google Books project on scholarship and discusses how we can continue to think imaginatively and collaboratively about expanding the digital availability of knowledge.

The country of the mind must also attack -- Librarians and collectors go to war -- The wild scramble for documents -- Acquisitions on a Grand Scale -- Fugitive Records of War -- Book Burning-American Style -- Not a Library, but a Large Depot of Loot.