Acquisitions in the New Information Universe, by Jesse Holden

Jesse Holden, Acquisitions in the New Information Universe: Core Competencies and Ethical Practices. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2010. 135 pages. ISBN 9781555706968.

I read Acquisitions in the New Information Universe in my quest to understand acquisitions activities better than I do. While the book wasn't exactly what I had expected, I still found it to be an interesting discussion of how acquisitions practices have changed now that much of the information we're purchasing or licensing is electronic. Author Holden makes it clear in the first chapter that we need to make a paradigm shift in acquisitions. No longer can we be content with knowing where to buy something, but we also need to be aware of the many ways to provide access to specific information. This change in responsibilities is increasing the competency level expected of acquisitions staff.

Chapter 2 includes useful discussions about services that vendors provide, vendor relationships, and selecting a vendor. Chapter 3 provides information about the many formats in which information is available, and provides some background on traditional and emerging acquisitions workflows. In Chapter 4, Holden discusses the services that acquisitions units provide, and encourages the systematic collection and analysis of feedback to continually improve those services. In Chapter 5, the author encourages us to "radicalize" acquisitions. By this he means that we must "move definitively away from models that are based on the fixed linearity of process or standardization of information objects." (p. 108). He stresses that we must base our practices on service needs, use vendors and technological solutions when possible, and explore collaborative efforts to "leverage resources and streamline workflow." (p. 109).

I found this book to be an interesting and stimulating discussion on the state of acquisitions today. I think it would be most appropriate for someone who is already familiar with acquisitions processes. Students or others who want to learn about basic acquisitions processes and best practices might find Liz Chapman's Managing Acquisitions in Library and Information Services to be a better introduction. Nevertheless, this is a valuable contribution to the literature.