Collection development in the British Library: the role of the RLG Conspectus

Conspectus, developed in the USA by the Research Libraries Group, enables libraries to record and compare quantified data on the strength of their collections and collecting practices in particular subjects. It serves both as an information file and as a basis for collaborative collection development. The British Library adopted Con spectus as part of a collection development review initiated in 1983. As well as providing a coherent picture of the library's collections and selection policy, it is seen as the precursor of a more general adoption of the system by the UK research library community.