Is collection management an exact science ?

Do collections in public libraries have to correspond to patrons' requirements ? Or, on the contrary, must patrons adapt their needs to the collections offered by libraries ? Deliberately willing to approach distribution - instead of limitation -, the municipal library of Saint-Etienne (Loire, France) proposes a way which enables to adjust collections to the various types and categories of concerns, according to the users' needs. This is a preliminary step towards a policy of rational collection management. Quantity and quality are not contradictory.
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