SPEC Kit 320: Core Benefits (November 2010)
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SPEC Kits Supporting Effective Library Management for Over Thirty-five Years Committed to assisting research and academic libraries in the continuous improvement of management sys- tems, ARL has worked since 1970 to gather and disseminate the best practices for library needs. As part of its commitment, ARL maintains an active publications program best known for its SPEC Kits. Through the Collaborative Research/Writing Program, librarians work with ARL staff to design SPEC surveys and write publications. Originally established as an information source for ARL member libraries, the SPEC Kit series has grown to serve the needs of the library community worldwide. What are SPEC Kits? Published six times per year, SPEC Kits contain the most valuable, up-to-date information on the latest issues of concern to libraries and librarians today. They are the result of a systematic survey of ARL member libraries on a particular topic related to current practice in the field. Each SPEC Kit contains an executive summary of the survey results survey questions with tallies and selected comments the best representative documents from survey participants, such as policies, procedures, handbooks, guidelines, Web sites, records, brochures, and statements and a selected reading list—both print and online sources—containing the most current literature available on the topic for further study. Subscribe to SPEC Kits Subscribers tell us that the information contained in SPEC Kits is valuable to a variety of users, both inside and outside the library. SPEC Kit purchasers use the documentation found in SPEC Kits as a point of departure for research and problem solving because they lend immediate authority to proposals and set standards for designing programs or writing procedure statements. SPEC Kits also function as an important reference tool for library administrators, staff, students, and professionals in allied disciplines who may not have access to this kind of information. SPEC Kits can be ordered directly from the ARL Publications Distribution Center. To order, call (301) 362-8196, fax (301) 206-9789, e-mail pubs@arl.org, or go to http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/. Information on SPEC Kits and the SPEC survey program can be found at http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/ spec/index.shtml. The executive summary for each kit after December 1993 can be accessed free of charge at http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/spec/complete.shtml.
