Goal programming was applied to the problem of allocating the materials budget of an academic library among books and periodicals and across academic subject disciplines. Four goal programming models were developed for a illustrative college library collection development environment. Typical collection development goals found in the literature and in library policy statements were combined with sample data to determine the applicability of goal programming to acquisitions allocation. The following goals were included in the models: (1) Do not exceed the total acquisitions budget. (2) Limit periodical expenditures to 60% of total acquisitions expenditures. (3) Limit periodical acquisitions to a level that can be supported for at least five years. (4) Acquire titles in accord with subject enrollment data. (5) Acquire titles in accord with subject circulation data. (6) Acquire titles by level of retrospective subject requirements. (7) Acquire titles by levels of U.S. publishing output. (8) Limit research acquisitions to 15% of total acquisitions and allocate on the basis of departmental productivity. (9) Meet minimal subject acquisitions levels.; The models were submitted to iterative computer analysis for testing and refinement.; Results indicate that goal programming can satisfactorily aid decision makers in allocating acquisition funds in accordance with common collection development goals. Unlike most present acquisitions allocation formulas, goal programming models permit the inclusion of several competing goals as well as goals which are measured in incommensurable units such as dollars, circulation units, and student enrollments. Goal programming formalizes the allocation process by requiring the specification of goals and priorities, and it provides documentation of the projected results of alternative allocation decisions.; The major disadvantage of goal programming is its relative technical complexity and need for large scale computer codes. A proposed solution to this problem is to incorporate a goal programming acquisitions allocation model into the management information component of large bibliographic utilities or into a library's own integrated automated system.
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