Editorial

Citation

Cassell, K.A. (2006), "Editorial", Collection Building, Vol. 25 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/cb.2006.17125aaa.001

Editorial

I was struck by the coincidental arrival of two papers on government documents and two on the alternative press. It was good to see these two topics being explored. The government documents papers, one by Clemons and Sproles and one by Skaggs, come at a time when the status of US government documents and depositories are being discussed. In the last few years US government documents have been going through a sea of change as they have moved from print to electronic format. Although a handful of government documents will continue to be published on paper most will not. The far-reaching implications of this are not yet known. For some there will be better access to them while for others with limited access to computers there will be less access. The articles presented here document the importance of government documents and the care with which librarians continue to build their document collections. No matter what their format I hope that librarians will continue to develop these essential collections.

The two articles, on the alternative press and on zines, remind us that there is more than mainstream literature. The contribution of the alternative press is important now and for the future. We have always gained much from the work of the independent press that has brought forward new ideas and new points-of-view. Wang’s article gives us a road map to finding these publications. The Gisonny and Freedman article on zines provides us with insight into a thriving alternative literature that some libraries have chosen to collect. These zines are of interest to many library users.

A note about the excellent bibliography from the Poets House Showcase. Their annual contribution to Collection Building is eagerly awaited and reminds us that the world of poetry continue to flourish and inspire us all.

Kay Ann Cassell