Collecting policies should be a component of programs that seek to eliminate future problems, lessen competition, and provide an avenue for deaccessioning. Collecting policies can also assist the curator in fulfilling the mission of the manuscript collection, but guidelines for producing such policies have not yet been formulated. A method for dealing with the complexity of manuscript collecting must be devised. The American Library Association does provide a beginning with its "Guidelines for the Formulation of Collection Development Policies," but these guidelines are not designed for manuscript collections. A model that can be used to develop a well-planned, written collection policy for manuscripts is needed. Included in this study are suggested ways of developing written collecting policies for manuscript collections. Also considered are such matters as goals and objectives, deaccessioning, research potential of materials, and procedures for carrying out policies. The basis for a model outline for formulating collecting policies is developed through an examination of appropriate literature.

The Documentation of Congress: Report of the Congressional ArchivistsRoundtable Task Force on Congressional Documentation presents a viable, working documentation strategy for the U.S. Congress. As part of the documentation strategy, the task force recommends the writing of a model policy statement for archival institutions collecting congressional papers. This article presents a model congressional papers collection development policy that can be appended to a repository's full collection development policy. The model is based on Faye Phillips, "Developing Collecting Policies for Manuscript Collections." The article includes discussion regarding ancillary persons or organizations to be collected in conjunction with congressional papers.

Long before e-books became a familiar term and before libraries were thought of as their own publishers, the LSU Libraries in 1990 created the Electronic Imaging Lab within the Special Collections Department for the express purpose of creating and publishing electronic books from original print materials and to serve as an incubator for digital projects. With funding from a state grant program and nò`W eb presence,'' the first products were issued on CD-ROMs. The first project was a collaborative effort with an LSU Coastal Studies and Fisheries professor, Richard Condrey. Our second project, in 1995, continued this cooperative approach and led to a grant funding an image network for special collections and the LSU Art Department.

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The authors provide a description of using imaging for preservation purposes. They make the case that imaging technology can exist with microfilming and can provide improved access to rare materials.