Abstract:
The purpose of this thesis was to study the technical works comprising of acquisition, classifying and cataloguing of paperback books (pocket books or rack-size) in university libraries in Thailand, and to study the advantages and disadvantages connected with the shelving of paperback books in each library. Data were collected through 2 sets of 350 questionnaires. of these, 10 were designed for chief librarians, 40 for the head of Acquisition Department, Cataloguing Department and Circulation Department, and the other 300 for library users in 10 libraries. The completed questionnaires were totally returned 100 percents. Results of the study were :- 1. Most of the libraries in the study agreed on the acquisition of paperbacks by type of broad subject matters: textbooks, non fiction and fiction. If the choice could be made, a hardbound edition was preferred because of its durability. A paperback book was purchased only if the hardbound edition was out of print or non-existent. 2. Processing In the case of qualitative paperbacks: textbooks and non fiction many libraries classified and catalogued them. The following notations Pb = Paperback book, P = Pocket book, Sc = Story collection, and NF = Non Fiction were used for informational books by some libraries, while F, Fic or FIC were used for fiction. Classification schemes used were Library of Congress Classification, Dewey Decimal Classification and National Library of Medicine Classification. 3. Shelving Paperbacks were usually shelved together with hardbounds by call number or alphabetically shelved by authors name. Even in libraries with separate paperback collections, they were similary shelved in either ways. A suitable shelving method used by most of the circulation departments were to place paperback textbooks and non fiction with hardbounds, but paperback fictions were separated in a special collection. 4. Libraty users Most of Library user used the paperback fictions more than paperback textbooks and informational paperbacks. The users recommended 2 procedures that the library should take into considerations. Firstly all paperbacks were placed in special shelves separated from the hardbounds, and they were arranged by call number. Secondly, the paperback textbooks were placed together with the hardbound copies, but other informational paperbacks and paperback fictions were placed together in the special racks. Recommendations 1. There is a need for formulating an uniform library acquisition policy that covers the budget provision and the selection of paperback textbooks, non fiction and fiction. 2. For any university with dormitories on campus the library should provide gift book drops at easily accessible points in each dormitory. 3. To save time and expenses, each library should have standard guidelines for classifying and cataloguing of paperback books, including the idea of what kind of paperback books ought to undergo full precessing and which will undergo simple processing. 4. The paperback textbooks and non fiction should be rebound for reinforcement before they are out on the shelves. 5. A display rack for new paperback books should be located in the paperback collection.