Of the following reasons for an academic library to acquire the dictionary of American slang, which is the least valid

• A. It facilitates studying language development
• B. It provides historical slang terms
• C. It aids understanding contemporary usage
• D. Students and librarians enjoy reading through it during their leisure time

Answer: (D)

Acquisitions in an academic library are best justified by clear scholarly value and how the material supports research, teaching, and learning. A dictionary of American slang is useful because it helps students study how language evolves over time, provides historical slang terms for context in cultural and literary research, and clarifies contemporary usage for analysis in linguistics or sociology. These are direct, research- or instruction-focused reasons that align with library missions.

The justification that students and librarians enjoy reading through it for leisure time, while true in some cases, does not demonstrate a need for the library to acquire the resource. Leisure reading is not a primary criterion for selecting reference works, and an academic library must show how a title will be actively used for coursework, research, or instruction, and that it offers reliable, comprehensive information.