Electronic Resources: Collection Policy

      Electronic resources in support of teaching, learning and research include all the varied forms of digital, optical and magnetic technologies. The electronic resources policy, which addresses the expenditure of the Library system's Data budget, is one element of the Library's overall collection development policy. The selection of electronic resources for the Libraries' collections poses service, legal, economic and technical issues.

Selection Factors

      The Library will give first priority to collecting those electronic products that will have a demonstrable impact on McMaster's credibility as a leading educational research institution. It follows that those electronic products will be collected that support the subject areas and disciplines where the University maintains graduate level research (designated as "A" collection level) or where other academic strength has been identified as, for example, in the creation of a "Centre of Excellence" or a major educational programme.

      The primary focus of the electronic collection will include the major tools that will be useful to a broad spectrum of users in those subject areas or that offer important in-depth coverage for one or more subjects.

      Within these parameters, the electronic collection will include locally-owned and controlled resources, resources available through consortial arrangements, remote Internet subscriptions, and some freely available Internet resources. A high priority will be given to providing electronic reference tools and Metadata and to complementing these resources with services such as document delivery, inter-lending services, and electronic full-text products and services.

      Specific factors in the selection of electronic resources are described in the Appendix below.

Appendix: Selection Factors for Electronic Products

Service Support Factors

      There are several factors which must be considered in the selection of electronic products for the Library, including access and licensing levels for use, product quality and ease of use, technological characteristics, and product support by the vendor. The following standards are preferred in the acquisition of available products. However it is recognized that judgement will be exercised and that some good and useful products will be acquired that do not meet all or most of the standards.

Access and Licensing:

• user definition includes all McMaster community without restriction
  
• product will be made available in campus libraries
  
• allows for walk-in patrons (non-McMaster library users)
  
• remote access permitted for McMaster community campus-wide and off-campus
  
• security standards and obligations mutually acceptable
  
• authentication requirements reasonable and achievable
  
• user rights and restrictions appropriate (eg. saving, downloading, printing, inter-lending, etc)
  
• price, specifics of access options and price-related guarantees acceptable
  
• access warranties from supplier included if applicable (eg, Internet access)
  
• data ownership, software ownership and rights acceptable
  
• credit toward updated technological format (eg. CD to WEB)
  
• provision for reasonable replacement of data damaged in use

Product Quality:

• positive external review and/or internal assessment
  
• service is reliable and current
  
• product functions as expected
  
• product testable through trial or demo access
  
• mature interface appropriate to the application
  
• adequate customer aids (manuals, online, user guides, templates)
  
• reasonable response times to system queries

Technological Characteristics:

• portable and standards-based data formats (Z39.50, HTML, MARC, SGML, ASCII ...)
  
• usage levels can be routinely monitored
  
• campus compatibility of access platform and network environment requirements
  
• ability to secure data, public search software and station operating system
  
• access not limited to proprietary client(s)
  
• distributable client, or browser access possible
  
• can be used with campus fee-charging mechanisms where so licensed
  
• storage requirements known and projectable

Service Support from Vendor:

• ease of loading and maintenance
  
• ability to prepare access, orientation, patron supports
  
• vendor training or training site available
  
• required ancillary services feasible (printing, downloading, ftp, manipulation software...)
  
• no requirement for service-specific account management
  
• no requirement for stand-alone installation
  
• good troubleshooting support from vendor

Additional Factors:

The following additional factors will be evaluated in the consideration of the acquisition of electronic products:

• an effort will be made to start online subscription services in January or July if possible
  
• electronic resources are subject to a regular review cycle and assessment
  
• in cases where only electronic format will be retained, subscription overlap with print will not normally exceed twelve months
  
• electronic products which replace discontinued print products get priority consideration
  
• to displace print, electronic tools must be cost-effective or result in a significant improvement to service
  
• faculty-requested tradeoffs against other formats are always considered
  
• electronic resources are normally added to the Library Catalogue in the same way as print