Electronic Resources Collection
Development Policy
Purpose/General Statement
The policy
outlined on this page is meant to
supplement the Library’s current
Collection Development Policy, which
governs the selection of library
materials and information resources.
For the purpose of this policy,
electronic resources are defined as
reference or indexing sources,
whether full-text or citation only,
which require computer access.
The Gill
Library subscribes to electronic
resources in support of the
educational needs of students,
faculty and staff of The College of
New Rochelle. Due to the high cost
of electronic resources
subscriptions, the
Serials/Electronic Resources
Committee is charged with making
cost-effective and balanced purchase
recommendations based on our
institutional needs. At the same
time, a major goal of acquiring
electronic resources is the
provision of access both on and off
campus in the most affordable manner
possible.
I. General
Criteria
Subject matter
covered is relevant to the
curriculum of the four schools of
The College of New Rochelle and
meets the needs of our primary users
(students, faculty and staff).
Additional criteria include:
Appropriate
intellectual level, depth of
coverage and quality of information
for user population
Reputable,
reliable, and authoritative provider
Information
and updates are current, accurate
and complete
Electronic
format provides greater
accessibility to information over
other formats
Uniqueness
of information
Formats
The following
electronic formats are considered:
Citation/abstract databases
Full text
article databases
Full text
reference sources online
29 Castle
Place, New Rochelle, NY 10805
•Tel:
(914) 654-5340 •Fax: (914) 654-5959
•Web: www.cnr.edu
Graphics and multimedia files
E-books
WWW
resources
Access The
following methods of access are
preferred:
Delivery via
the web
Authentication by IP address (rather
than passwords or logins)
Compatibility with the Library’s
existing proxy server and software
Ease of use
Electronic resources should adhere
to conventional user expectations
such as:
Availability
of on-screen help and/or tutorials
Basic and
guided/advanced searching
Ability to
print, save, and email results
and/or articles
Cost
Considerations
Cost-effectiveness (including the
availability and cost of updates and
back files when appropriate)
Ability to
sustain cost for the foreseeable
future
Potential
usage and/or uniqueness of
information justifies cost
Vendor
Considerations
Provides responsive customer service
and technical support that is
available during library working
hours
Availability
and quality of training programs
Reputation
and business record suggests
continued support for the product
via updates or new versions
Documentation is thorough and clear
Technical
Considerations
Allows for local customizations via
system administration access for the
Library
Product is
compatible with the Library’s
existing and/or future hardware
Product is
compatible with standard web
browsers if accessible via the web
Usage statistics are readily
available in a user-friendly format
(preferably COUNTER compliant).
Special
Considerations for Online Reference
Sources or Subscriptions to
Individual Online Journals
29 Castle Place, New Rochelle, NY
10805 •Tel: (914) 654-5340
•Fax: (914) 654-5959 •Web:
www.cnr.edu
A subscription
to or purchase of an individual
online reference or journal title
will be considered if:
The
electronic format offers value-added
enhancements to make it preferable
over, or a significant addition to,
its print equivalent. Examples of
such enhancements include wider
access, flexibility in searching,
and frequent updates.
It contains
or covers the equivalent information
compared to the print format.
Acquiring
the electronic version is
cost-effective (e.g., the cost
differential is justified by
demonstrated or expected increase in
use) and provides greater access to
users
License
Agreements
The Gill
Library purchases access to or data
from publishers who require signed
license agreements. When negotiating
license agreements, the Library
keeps the interests of the user in
mind and refrains from purchasing
products where use restrictions
would seriously impede research or
be impossible to enforce. The
Electronic Resources Librarian
coordinates the review of license
agreements and submits the signed
license agreement as part of the
ordering procedure. Amendments or
changes to vendor license agreements
are made in consultation with the
Dean of the Library on a
case-by-case basis to ensure use is
granted to the fullest extent
possible.
II. Decision
Making Process
Requesting New
Subscriptions/Acquisitions
All new
electronic resources must be
requested through the Electronic
Resources Librarian. In consultation
with faculty, library liaisons,
appropriate library staff and others
(as needed), the Electronic
Resources Librarian will:
Consider
whether or not the product meets the
selection criteria outlined in the
Electronic Resources Collection
Development Policy.
Request
pricing for the product and
investigate consortial purchase
options.
Decide if a
trial of the product is warranted.
All trials should be coordinated
through the Electronic Resources
Librarian. This will ensure that the
trial is appropriately timed and
publicized when necessary.
In
consultation with faculty, library
liaisons, appropriate library staff
and others (as needed), the
Electronic Resources Librarian will
solicit feedback and evaluate the
product based on the trial.
Consult
reviews of the product.
Consult
other subscribers to the product.
29 Castle
Place, New Rochelle, NY 10805
•Tel:
(914) 654-5340 •Fax: (914) 654-5959
•Web: www.cnr.edu
Based on cost,
perceived need, usage, and the
degree to which the electronic
resource meets the selection
criteria, the Electronic Resources
Committee will:
Recommend
whether or not to acquire the
resource
Prioritize
its purchase in relation to other
electronic resources requested
within budgetary constraints.
III. Review of
Electronic Resources for
Cancellation
A subscription
to a product may be cancelled if:
Usage
statistics are consistently low over
a significant period of time.
The product
is no longer cost-effective
The content
provided is no longer meeting the
needs of Gill Library users.
A
competitive or better product
becomes available.
The vendor
fails to hold up their end of the
agreement and/or provides poor
service.
A product’s
price inflates such that it no
longer is considered affordable.
The
product’s content is found to
duplicate content in another
database.
A new vendor
can deliver a superior product,
including a more user-friendly
search interface, providing greater
and more reliable access at a
reasonable cost, or meet other key
criteria not being met by current
database provider.
Serials/Electronic Resources
Committee
The College of
New Rochelle
November 11,
2011
