Abstract

Subscription-based electronic resources have come to represent an increasing proportion of library collections budgets. If we are going to secure the most value from such resources, ongoing assessment of them should be approached more systematically, with the full engagement of subject selectors. Recognizing this, Columbia University Libraries appointed an Electronic Resources Assessment Working Group in 2009 to include such resources within our current culture of assessment. Members of that working group, along with a supportive engineer from Library Systems, will talk about the ways in which selectors have been engaged through a three-pronged outreach effort: educational offerings in the use of electronic resource management tools; inspirational presentations from librarians who have improved collections using such tools; and the creation of an electronic resource renewal reminder system in Google Calendar. Strategically placed questions will involve the audience in the discussion: What is the current status of electronic resource assessment efforts at their libraries? What mechanisms do they currently have in place to encourage selector involvement in the process? Attendees can expect to learn of methods for engaging selectors more systematically in the process of electronic resource assessment.

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Electronic Resource Assessment: Adventures in Engagement

Subscription-based electronic resources have come to represent an increasing proportion of library collections budgets. If we are going to secure the most value from such resources, ongoing assessment of them should be approached more systematically, with the full engagement of subject selectors. Recognizing this, Columbia University Libraries appointed an Electronic Resources Assessment Working Group in 2009 to include such resources within our current culture of assessment. Members of that working group, along with a supportive engineer from Library Systems, will talk about the ways in which selectors have been engaged through a three-pronged outreach effort: educational offerings in the use of electronic resource management tools; inspirational presentations from librarians who have improved collections using such tools; and the creation of an electronic resource renewal reminder system in Google Calendar. Strategically placed questions will involve the audience in the discussion: What is the current status of electronic resource assessment efforts at their libraries? What mechanisms do they currently have in place to encourage selector involvement in the process? Attendees can expect to learn of methods for engaging selectors more systematically in the process of electronic resource assessment.