Training New Acquisitions and Collection Development Librarians: Some Technical and Philosophical Guideposts

This article covers key competencies for success as acquisitions and collection development librarians, delineates between collection development's intellectual facets of curricular support and acquisitions' business functions and shows how the two interrelated. Also provided are best practices for training and mentoring and professional development information for new librarians entering acquisitions and collection development.

Future Students, Future Revenues: Thriving in a Decade of Demographic Decline:

Over the past decade, universities were able to grow revenue primarily by growing enrollment and increasing net tuition per student. But demographic and economic changes will make it increasingly difficult for all but a handful of institutions to grow tuition revenue at historic rates. Despite rising access rates, demographic projections suggest that the number of high school graduates will decline over the coming decade, leading to a dramatic drop-off in the overall rate of enrollment growth. The traditional population of 18- to 22-year-olds will remain a majority at most institutions, but enrollment growth will come primarily from other student segments. Populations such as community college transfers, international undergraduates, professional master’s students, and adult degree completers offer the best opportunities to grow enrollment and tuition revenue. Serving them well requires significant investments, new organizational models, and cultural change on campus. This can be done in a financially sustainable way—fulfilling the university’s mission to serve a diverse range of students while providing financial resources to support the core. This brief analyzes the forces that will shape higher education over the next decade and highlights the strategies and competencies that colleges and universities will need to be successful.

Professional Development for Newly Tenured Faculty

After receiving tenure, faculty acquire new responsibilities, experience less pressure to produce research, and receive significantly less guidance than during the probationary period. Despite these changes, few institutions provide intensive support to newly-tenured faculty. This report highlights institutional efforts to support this faculty cohort and to encourage newly-tenured faculty to craft professional goals that will lead to outstanding research and promotion to full professor. Differences between pre-tenure and tenured faculty responsibilities and professional challenges are also explored.