8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 1

Electronic Information Materials:Collection Development Policy,

Selection Criteria, Review Tools

Dr Dibyendu Paul

Presentation for8th UGC Sponsored Refresher Course

Organized by

DLIS & Academic Staff CollegeCalcutta University

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 2

Presentation PlanIntroduction

• Modes of Electronic Publishing and CD

• The ER and the CDP

• Traditional CDP and Issues of Changes

• Criteria for Selection of ER

• Tools for Selection of ER

• Situation in Our Academic Libraries

• Some Useful Review Sources for ER

• Conclusion

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 3

Introduction

ER initiated in 1960s

• Online networks in 1970s

• Various forms of e-publishing in 1980s

• Telecommunications made wide scope in 1990s

• Libraries and publishing are busy with various issues of procurement, access and preservation in 2Ks

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 4

Introduction (cont.)Changes effect on CDP, selection criteria and selection process; budgeting and acquisition; organization and access; evaluation and assessment; issues of copyright and licensing; and preservation ER

CD was a comprehensive phrase that denoted the process of building collections

Collection management reflect a somewhat paradigmatic shift

Collections and connections are likely to be a better replacement

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 5

Collection Management Activities are:

budgeting and resource allocation

selection, evaluation and withdrawal of stock

choice of media and format

storage services and facilities

preservation, conservation and binding

monitoring of collections, organization and shifting

performance measurement, collection administration

system development and new technology, resource sharing and networking

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 6

E-Publishing and CD

• In the space of a few years we have collectively witnessed in electronic format the appearance of all the major reference titles and journals for most subject areas, a process that originally took several hundred years to complete in the print world. [Gorman]

• Development of new carriers …has brought …

fundamental change …about future collection policies and storage requirements and an awareness that in order to maintain comprehensive collection …for present and future generations…, it will be necessary to obtain an increasing amount of non-print materials. [UNESCO]

Back2Plan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 7

The ER and CDP• Earlier collection maintenance like binding, replacing,

weeding, preserving, and protecting were thought as lateral to the real process of collections building

• Now a day all are included in the periphery of collection management in the electronic environment

• A CDP is usually written and developed with two audiences in mind- – the library staff members and – the broader range of patron and users

community

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 8

The ER and CDP (Cont.)• In most CDP, we find a combination of descriptions of

practices, guidelines for decisions, and provision intended to protect against unwarranted pressure to acquire or discard certain types of materials

• It helps to ensure consistency in procedures and appropriate balance in the library’s collections

• There are three approaches to consider the acquisition or retention of ER into the CDP: Making ER acquisition fit into the patterns of traditional

policies Creating separate policies dealing only with ER Mainstreaming ER into a reworked, integrated CDP

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 9

Traditional CDP • Define library’s institutional mission, user community and

requirements

• Provide selection criteria and guidelines

• Identify selection tools and processes

• Define the process of weeding, cancellation, replacement of materials

• Facilitate the consistency and communications among the CD staff and overall management as an authority document

• Assign the responsibility for various aspects of CD processes and collection management activities

• Plan for the future of the collections

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 10

Traditional CDP (Cont.)

• Provide guidelines for dealing with gift materials

• Provide guidelines for dealing with the materials or services thought by the authority as inappropriate

• Provide framework and context for library access, space allocations, budgeting, and fund rising priorities

• Support cooperative or collaborative CD and inter-library loan by describing the past and the current activities in his respect

• Identify strength and relative weakness of the present collections

• Aid in planning for development initiatives and grant proposals

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 11

CDP: Issues of Change• Cancellation or retention of print version against available e-

version

• Provision of or limitations on remote access of resources

• Technological requirements for access including formats and the computer platform compatible with the materials

• New and additional cost of hardware and others to materials including the cost of Internet and other network

• Possible duplication of certain e-journals and databases while purchasing bundles from different aggregators

• Negotiation of the terms of licenses for use of material, including provision of legal considerations in the CDP

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 12

CDP: Issues of Change (Cont.)Special preservation and long-term access issues of ER

• Whether library losses all rights to the materials previously licensed once cancellation has done

• Whether it will really performs its intended services better at least compared to its print counterpart

• Consideration of training of staff and users in handling and use of ER

• Access and organizational issues whether and how to catalog ER

• Consideration of cooperative CD issues, such as ability to provide copies on interlibrary loan

Back2Plan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 13

Continuity in CDP

“While the principles of CD, which were developed in the world of print publications, do not change radically with new publishing technologies, method of decision making and specific selection guidelines must be adjusted significantly to incorporate new publishing formats.” S. G Demas, Library Hi Tech. 12(3) p. 71-80

Back2Plan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 14

Criteria for Selection of ERAudience:Does the users are really require it consciously or unconsciously?

Content:Does it fill the current gaps in print collection? E- materials should not be acquired simply because it is available. Does it duplicate the already owned materials? Costs:What will be the cost benefit of replacement? Does it require purchase of additional hardware and software?

Access: Does the technology make the content of ER easily accessible?

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 15

Criteria …of ER (Cont.)License Agreement: In case of licensed can the library continue to retain its current inter library loan system?

Authority and Ease of Use:Is the material authoritative? The accuracy of the ER is very critical to determine during the process of selection and evaluation. Does a library have sufficient computer terminals to handle additional user traffic?

Back2Plan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 16

Tools for Selection to Answer

• What is available?

• How much does it cost?

• Where can it be obtainable?

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 17

Tools …to Answer (Cont.)

• Is the resource authoritative? The selection tools might help to determine the authority

• Does it deliver what it promised?

• Has it been cited in bib/webliographies?

• Is the vendor reliable?

Back2Plan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 18

Situation in Academic Libraries • Libraries of universities and research institutes

have their defined audiences who proactively require exploded information in electronic from with appropriate infrastructure

• Most of the college libraries are not ready to develop a wide range collection and connections of electronic information resources

• College education still now is text book & regional language dependent. Supportive ER are produces very less

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 19

CDP in Academic Libraries• CDP for ER, separately or in an integrated way, are

not adopted and/or not adapted in most of the academic libraries here

• Most of the university and research institute libraries here have no written document as a guideline for CD in regards to print or electronic environment

• But definitely the process of collection building is follows based on certain policies in any form

• It is guided by certain conventions, experiences and sense of right and wrong here

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 20

Policies Resolved by • Crucial issues or problems regarding collection

development and management are resolve in different committees in different levels in the institutions

• Certain other issues like collection strength, loss consideration and weeding out procedures, staff pattern for management of collection in the libraries and bargaining of cost of books are generally guided by the government circulars and sponsor agencies’ desires.

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 21

ER Procured in the Way of… Most of the university libraries started their ER procurement at the initiatives and policies of their affiliating body like UGC with the ‘package’ as they drawn together

• Same is the case for different other higher education institutes and research centers. Most of them are connected with their relevant consortia

• Policies, criteria, selection all are directly controlled by the agency on the high behind the consortia

• Local issues hardly been considered in this regards

• They have only appeared as a part of central initiation of ER procurement.

Back2Plan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 22

Some Useful Review Sources C&RL NewsNet: Internet Reviews www.bowdoin.edu/~samato/IRAThis is an internet archive for review of ER of College and Research Library News, contains monthly updated reviews from 1994 to 2006. The reviews allow searching and browsing by various means

Current Cites http://lists.webjunction.org/currentcites/

A team of librarians monitors information technology literature. The resulting issue of 8-12 annotated citations of current literature. It has been published August 1990

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 23

Some Useful …(Cont.) Educate Online: UK Education News and Reviewshttp://www.educate.co.ukSet up in 1994 to carry reviews of software, computers and anything education

Librarian’s Index to the Internet http://lii.orgIt reviews high-quality websites carefully selected, described, and organized by a team of librarians since 1990. Topics include current events and issues, helpful tools for information users, human interest, and more. It can also be searched and browsed

Library Journal Digital: Web Watch Archivehttp://www.libraryjournal.comA comprehensive publication with reviews of nearly 7000 books, hundreds of audio books, videos, databases, web sites, and systems that libraries buy annually

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 24

Some Useful… (Cont.) NewJour: Electronic Journals & Newsletters http://librray.georgetown.edu/newjour

List for new journals and newsletters available on Internet or those in print or move into electronic

Publib Discussion List www.sunsite.berkeley.edu/publib/

Its electronic discussion list is intended for the issues relating to public librarianship.

Scout Repot www.scout.wise.edu/scout/report

It focused on developing better tools and services for finding, filtering, and presenting online information

TourBuswww.internettourbus.com

It provides information on computer viruses, search engines, spam, cookies and the most useful sites on the Web.

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 25

Some Useful… (Cont.)Amazon.comwww.amazon.com

Nothing more is to be said on this site

Barnes and Noblehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com

It offer books, music, DVD, games, and related products & services

BookWire: The Book Industry Resource www.bookwire.com

This site is helpful to search book reviews, read about the latest releases, watch author video clips, and learn about upcoming book events.

Borders www.borders.com

It is a publicly held company at Michigan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 26

Some Useful… (Cont.)Berkeley Digital Library Sunsite http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Builds digital collections & services to provide information & support to digital library developers worldwide

E-information Sources—Bibliography http://library2.usask.ca/~dworacze/BIBLIO.HTMSubject Index to Literature and Bibliography deals with all aspects of electronic publishing

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography (SEPB)www.digital-scholarship.org/sepb/sepb.htmlPresents selected English-language articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing

Back2Plan

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 27

Conclusion

The electronic information resources offer a tremendous potentiality before us. We should not guided by adventure and unreality. This is the high time to trace on to adopt and adapt a concrete CDP considering the new paradigm as well as the current realities in potentially and viability of information resource materials in our academic libraries.

8th/RC/LIS/CU/01.03.10 28

Long live old reference (=information) services with new technologies. Fit new technologies into traditional goals. (Katz, 2001)