Synopsis
Fenner (library acquisition department, University of North Carolina- Greensboro) offers a practical guide to managing library materials in digital formats. Librarians share their expertise in the acquisition and management of digital resources, addressing questions of licensing, funding, and providing access. They also examine innovative projects and systems, such as the integration of PDA-accessible resources into a library collection and the development of all-digital libraries. This work has been co-published simultaneously as The Acquisition Librarian, nos. 33/34, 2005. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
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Reviewer:Carmel J. Yurochko, BA, MLIS(Duquesne University)
Description:Copublished simultaneously as The Acquisitions Librarian, Numbers 33/34, 2005, this book is a compilation of articles on topics, such as licensing agreements, related to the management of electronic resources in academic, health sciences, and public libraries. The 13 articles are organized into four useful, practical categories.
Purpose:The authors attempt to wade through the quagmire surrounding the complicated management of electronic resources. Although this particular quagmire is broad and deep, the authors make good inroads -- clearing a path to increased understanding, especially regarding licensing and how librarianship itself is changing.
Audience:Geared toward electronic resource, electronic access, and digital librarians, this book would also be beneficial to acquisitions librarians. Additionally, with the inclusion of articles on the changing focus of librarianship and the need for reorganization, library directors should examine this work to get a better handle on trends.
Features:The book is divided into four categories: licensing; opinions, research and analysis; systems and software; and special projects and histories. Each category contains articles pertinent to the topic, such as the impact of licenses in the licensing category and the transformation of librarianship in the opinions, research, and analysis section. Most articles include a helpful bibliography, and the index at the end of the book is very useful.
Assessment:A must read for anyone who has an electronic resource collection, regardless of the size, and for anyone involved in attempting to manage electronic resources in an academic, health sciences, or public library. This book can be a valuable tool. It sheds much needed light on a murky situation and offers good overviews of the continuously evolving situations that abound in electronic resource management.