Selecting and Managing Electronic Resources: A How‐to‐do‐it Manual

Citation

Gadd, E. (2002), "Selecting and Managing Electronic Resources: A How‐to‐do‐it Manual", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 36 No. 1, pp. 54-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/prog.2002.36.1.54.6

It was an ambitious undertaking to try and write a “how‐to‐do‐it manual” on such a vast topic as selecting and managing electronic resources – and in just 97 pages. However, I am not sure how well it meets this aim.

Whilst every library sector is struggling with electronic resources, they are all in such different places and have such different needs and issues. To provide a practical, step‐by‐step “manual” for all library sectors in one slim volume would have taken a miracle. That is assuming that there are indeed answers to many of the problems raised by electronic resources (I am sure that a real how‐to‐do‐it manual would have a step 146 saying something like “now toss a coin”).

Instead, what we have here is a broad discussion of the issues surrounding electronic resource management in a fairly logical order. It starts by arguing sensibly for integrated electronic and printed collection development as opposed to separate policies. It then goes on to examine selection criteria and selection processes. Interestingly, no definitions of electronic and Internet resources are given, but the author treats them as separate categories which can be confusing. Budgeting and acquisitions are dealt with next with a somewhat brief look at pricing models, budgeting problems, consortium purchasing and document delivery options. Providing access to e‐resources is given similarly scant treatment, followed by a look at evaluation and assessment of electronic collections. By far the longest chapter concerns itself with copyright and licensing issues, which is entirely concerned with US copyright legislation and a lengthy discussion of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA). The final chapter considers the important issue of preservation in the electronic environment. Throughout the text, sample worksheets or forms are included. These provide food for thought, but are by no means exhaustive, and have a tendency to oversimplify matters.

Stylistically the book is not very manual‐like either. There are long, reasoned discursive passages and each chapter ends with a conclusion. Where attempts at bullet‐pointed lists have been made, they often contain long paragraphs of text, which really defeat the object. What I did find useful, however, were the lists of Web sites of relevance to resource selection and acquisition, although these, like the rest of the book, have a heavy US bias. A selective bibliography provides further reading on each of the chapter topics, and an index is also included.

I think that this book may be beneficial to beginners trying to find their way through the e‐resources maze, as an overview of some of the questions they might find themselves asking. It is unfortunate, however, that it bills itself as a “how‐to” guide, because it leads to disappointed expectations. I would not recommend it to non‐US librarians except as an overview of some of the broader issues surrounding the selection and management of electronic resources. However, at £46.50 I can think of cheaper alternatives, not least the plethora of practitioner‐based resources freely available on the Web.