Circulation Policies in Academic Medical Libraries: A Comparative Study of Allocation Strategies, Demographic Analysis, Service Offerings, and Implications for Practice

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of current academic medical library circulation policies, examine methods libraries utilize in attempting to meet the needs of student populations, and to explore provision of access for in-demand items. This information is important as the environment in libraries has changed dramatically with the increasing prominence of electronic resources. At the same time, there is a dearth of recent literature documenting circulation practices in libraries. The results of this study are expected to be useful in enabling libraries to examine their own practices, especially in comparison with their peers.