From: "Kris Gerhard" <KGERHARD_at_gwgate.lib.iastate.edu>
ALCTS/CMDS Collection Development Librarians of Academic Libraries
Discussion Group
Saturday, January 13, 2001
2-4 pm
Renaissance Washington, Rooms 12-14
Valuing Electronic Resources: How Do We Assess the Usefulness of Electronic
Resources to our Patrons?
Join the Collection Development Librarians of Academic Libraries Discussion
Group for a lively facilitated discussion of these questions:
How does one assess the usage and/or the value of electronic resources? Do
we have actual figures on how these resources are actually used, as
compared to the time, effort and budget dollars that go into providing
them? How do we evaluate the utilitarian value of these resources apart
from the rhetoric that evangelizes them? What data do we need and how
should it be collected?
Further, the products in the numbers we have them are becoming a tower of
Babel of e-indexes, e-journals, niche full-text products, and so forth.
There is so much, and users cannot assimilate it all and make use of it
because they see the web as one big box, rather than the library supplied
part vs. the chaos -- and the library supplied part is somewhat chaotic,
too. What can be done to improve this situation for users from the
Collections side of the equation?
Are we uncritically on the bandwagon, and have we dropped the reigns?
We will also be talking briefly about plans for our program at ALA Annual
2001, and seeking candidates to run for Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the
Discussion Group.
Kristin H. Gerhard
Collections Officer
303 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
vox 515/294-2485
fax 515/294-2112
email kgerhard_at_iastate.edu
"When you learn not to want things so badly, life comes to you."
(Jessica Lange)
Received on Wed Jan 10 2001 - 17:46:31 EST