|
Collection
Development Policies for Electronic Resources:
Purpose
The purpose of this
electronic resources policy is to provide guidelines for building and
maintaining a strong and balanced collection of electronic resources for
Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) Library users.
Electronic resources specific to OCTC are those electronic resources
through the library homepage such as databases containing various
periodicals and journals, electronic books, and resources retrieved
through the Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL). This policy reflects the
mission of the library, which states: “The Owensboro Community and
Technical College library will strive for excellence by providing the
highest quality information resources and services for faculty, staff,
students, and community users. We will endeavor to achieve this
excellence by:
 |
Selecting and making accessible a variety of materials that support the
instructional and research needs of our patrons.
|
|
|
Creating a
supportive and open environment that reflects our commitment to
life-long learning. |
|
|
Instructing users
in effectively accessing and evaluating materials to meet their
informational needs. |
|
|
Maintaining a
knowledgeable and professional staff that respects the worth of each
individual, while combining our diverse interests and strengths to
best serve our patrons. |
|
|
Working
collaboratively with other libraries and institutions to provide
resources not available locally.” |
The policy provides
guidance for building and maintaining an effective collection of
electronic resources, as well as supplement and adhere to the same
elements of the Collection Development Policy of the OCTC Library main
collection.
Scope of the policy
“Electronic
resources” refer to those materials that require computer access,
whether through microcomputer, mainframe, or other types of computers,
and that may either be accessed locally or from a remote location. The
policy addresses both electronic resources purchased or licensed by the
library and free Internet resources. The curriculum needs of the
college in the various disciplines and programs, especially classes
offered for distant learning students, and information needs of various
OCTC faculty, staff, students, and community users are covered. This
policy serves all three college campus locations: the main campus, the
downtown campus, and the southeast campus.
Types of electronic
resources included, but not limited to:
|
|
Online public
access catalogs |
|
|
Indexing and
abstracting databases |
|
|
Aggregated
databases that include full-text journals and periodicals |
|
|
Electronic books
|
|
|
Reference
databases that include directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias |
|
|
Web sites |
|
|
CD-ROM and/or
multimedia products |
|
|
Other
technologies that may evolve |
Objectives of the
library
1. To acquire and make accessible a collection of
electronic resources to support the instructional programs of the
college, as well as supplement the existing main library collections.
2. To create an open and caring environment that encourages
self-motivated and life-long learning. Continuous improvement processes,
such as assessment, planning, and professional development activities
with regard to technological issues will be offered to all library staff
members.
3. To collaborate with faculty to teach students to use
electronic resources effectively to supplement their course instruction
and other information needs. An information literacy program for all
users will be implemented to help assess, evaluate, and organize skills
for the practical use of electronic resources.
4. To keep distant learning users informed of new resources
and services and to generally promote library use among all patrons.
5. To provide electronic materials, when funding permits,
to support the professional development and research needs of faculty,
staff, and general education needs of all citizens in the college’s
service area.
6. To encourage and cooperate with the use of networks,
consortia, or systems among area and state libraries for improved access
and services to all patrons. This will include the Kentucky Community
and Technical College System (KCTCS), the Kentucky Virtual Library
(KYVL), and any other library or institution that can supply needed
information.
Selection
The comprehensive periodical databases provide
indexing of abstracts and full-text articles from hundreds of academic
and scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, and some bibliographic
citations. The subject matter ranges from general reference collections
to subject-specific databases, such as medical, business and educational
information. Also included is a wide selection of electronic books that
adhere to the curriculum of the college. The various subjects covered
include general reference, social
sciences, humanities, education, arts and literature, medical sciences,
ethnic studies, along with computer sciences, engineering, language, and
more.
Selection criteria
include:
|
|
Timeliness and
accuracy |
|
|
Content or
subject |
|
|
Reputation and
authoritativeness |
|
|
Reliability of
access |
|
|
Full-text
availability in PDF, HTML, and Excel |
|
|
Full-page images
as well as color embedded images |
|
|
Technical
accessibility and compatibility with existing and future hardware
capabilities |
|
|
Cost-effectiveness, number of users included in license terms |
|
|
Copyright and
fair use issues |
|
|
Archival issues,
(availability, affordability, storage). |
Access
The library makes
access and use of electronic resources efficient and productive for the
user. Special attention is given to accommodate the distance learners.
Access to electronic resources is available through the library homepage
and the Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL) web site. The KYVL is a
collection of over 30 databases that include full-text of articles from
thousands of publications; it includes current, authoritative, accurate
web resources, and is also an access point for over 20 Kentucky library
catalogs. A library card from a Kentucky Library is required in order to
use the KYVL. Access to the databases is restricted to Kentucky library
users of the KYVL; passwords are required and can be obtained at the
user’s local library. Electronic books are cataloged and can be
accessed through the library’s catalog. Most resources can be used by
OCTC students, both on and off campus.
Licensing
With respect to licensing, OCTC adheres to the
publishing license agreements of all electronic resources subscribed to
by the library. Library authorized users include the students, faculty,
and staff of the Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC), and
all community on-site visitors. On-site is defined here to include any
area of OCTC’s facilities and or campuses. All OCTC students, faculty,
and staff should be able to access electronic resources from any
locations. For network-licensed
programs distributed on CD-ROM, the Library assumes the right to copy
that information to and serve from a hard drive.
The library adheres to licensing arrangements that
include consortium and other multi-institution options.
Access to research
databases through the KYVL is available only to institutions and
individuals who pay a subscription fee to the database vendor. There is
a legal obligation through the contracts with vendors to allow access
only to citizens of Kentucky.
Copyright issues
It
is the intent of OCTC Library to adhere to the provisions of the U.S.
Copyright Law. (Title 17, US Code). The policy shall apply to all
library users, whether faculty, staff, or students. Copyrighted
material shall be treated as the property of the copyright holder, with
all rights and limitations specified in the law.
The “fair use” provision of the U.S. Copyright Act
applies to all formats. Outside requests for information from electronic
resources may be provided if those requests comply with copyright law.
Section 107 of the law allows
educators fair use of copyrighted material, meaning that limited numbers
of copies of portions of copyrighted works for classroom, scholarship,
or research purposes may be made without infringing on copyright.
However, fair use shall not be abused. The Library does not condone
copying instead of purchasing copyrighted works where such copying would
constitute copyright infringement.
Responsibility for
Selection of Library Materials
The OCTC library
director is ultimately responsible for selecting all materials for the
OCTC library, including electronic resources. The OCTC library is one of
twelve community and technical colleges in the Kentucky Community and
Technical College System (KCTCS). Many electronic databases available at
OCTC are those that are subscribed to by the KYVL libraries as a group.
Specifically, the Ebsco databases are made available through the KVYL
consortia. The KYVL was first conceived by SAALCK, the State Assisted
Academic Library Council of Kentucky. The Infotrac databases are made
available through the KCTCS consortia. The KCTCS libraries, along with
the state supported regional university libraries, are members of SAALCK
and the Greater Cincinnati Library Consortium (GCLC).
All other electronic resources, including Proquest, FirstSearch,
Newsbank, and other various databases are made available through the
OCTC library. The various consortia promote library services through
cooperative member institutions and provide a wide range of information
resources at the lowest cost.
Intellectual Freedom
As an agency of the
Owensboro Community and Technical College, the library supports the
right of free inquiry. As in the main collection development policy, the
library also endorses the American Library Association’s "Library Bill
of Rights" in its electronic resources policy. The
American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for
information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should
guide their services.
-
Books and other library resources should be provided for the
interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community
the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the
origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
-
Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all
points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be
proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
-
Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their
responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
-
Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned
with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
-
A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or
abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
Libraries which
make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve
should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless
of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their
use. Adopted June 18, 1948. Amended February 2, 1961, and January 23,
1980, inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996,
by the ALA Council. |
New
Books