Library and Information Science

Recently some models for frequency distribution of book circulation have been developed. These library circulation models have the potential capability of being a basis for quantitative approaches to collection development. Namely, these models describe the use of books more subtlely than other models, so we can obtain an improvement to quantitative methods for collection development by applying a model of the frequency distribution of book circulation to it.

In this paper, firstly, it is shown that the model for frequency distribution of book circulation contains rich information on the use of books. By discussing some mathematical forms of obsolescence, it is shown that Brooke’s utility, Morse’s circulation model and Bradford’s law are represented by the model for frequency distribution of book circulation. Particulaly Burrell’s non-stationary Poisson process model is used as an example of a model for frequency distribution of book circulation. Secondly, by applying this model to Morse’s queuing theory method for multiple copies and Trueswell’s method for the weeding of books, these methods are extended. This implies the applicability of the model for frequency distribution of book circulation to quantitative methods for collection development.