[WEB4LIB] eResources Policy

[Sue Kamm]

"Swanson, Troy" wrote:

> Fellow list members:
>
> We would like to write an eResources Policy to give us direction in
> selecting appropriate online resources to offer our students.  I've noticed
> that our usual method for choosing new online tools is sift through the
> various offers that vendors dump on us (even if we don't mean for it to work
> this way).  Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has an eResources Policy that
> we could use to give us ideas or if anyone has an advice suggestions on
> creating such a policy?  In my mind, this policy would cover goals of online
> resources, assess needs for such resources, and ultimately offer
> direction/set priorities for the selection of these resources.

I think part of the problem with developing special "eResources" policies is
that we librarians tend to look at the 'net as a strange, exotic tool.

The Internet is similar to government documents, which are also treated as
strange and exotic in most libraries.  Librarians set documents tenderly aside
in their own separate collections and classify them using the SuDocs system.
The founding director of the library where I work always considered the
Government Printing Office as another publisher, like Doubleday or Simon &
Schuster.  We log in state and federal documents because we are required to
under the Depository Libraries program, but they are treated like any other work
the library acquires.  We catalog and classify monographs and serials that
aren't magazines, put magazines in our regular magazine collection, and give
information file materials subject headings.

IMNSHO, libraries should consider the 'net as simply another resource.  If you
are purchasing fee-based online services, use the same criteria as for print
materials.  (In the case of a community college, I would guess the overriding
criterion is whether the service enhances your curriculum.)  Another criterion
-- especially if the electronic resource will replace something in print -- is
the extent to which backfiles will be available, particularly vendors who offer
full text products.  (I'd hesitate to purchase an on-line or other electronic
product that keeps only the most recent five years' worth of information in its
daabase.)

If you are selecting pages to link with, again consider what your clients will
need or want.  Does the link pertain to your library's or college's mission?
Who's operating the site?  How reliable is the information likely to be?  How
often is the site updated?

(I would hope that these are the questions you ask when selecting print
materials.  The reputation of an author and/or publisher and the currency of
information are usually important criteria in selecting materials.)

I hope this helps answer your question!

--
Your friendly CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor,
Sue Kamm
Truest of the Blue, Los Angeles Dodgers Think Blue Week 2000
Visit my home page:  http://suekamm.home.mindspring.com/index.htm
email:  suekamm at mindspring.com
Dogs come when they're called.  Cats take a message and get back to you.