Selection and Acquisition of Electronic Resources in Academic Libraries

Abstract

With information explosion, there has been a rapid increase in the number of e-resources published across the world. In addition to this, the cost of e-resources has risen steeply. This has resulted in libraries finding it difficult to acquire all the required information resources from the budget available from its parent body. The problem of libraries is compounded by the growing costs of maintaining both print and online subscription and issues related to ‘perpetual' electronic access to back files. The print industry in the world is said to be on the decline. People prefer the electronic versions of the reading materials, because they are more portable, accessible and affordable. But there are many challenges/hurdles to this path, which we have to overcome with time, effort and ingenuity. There are certain challenges relating to their selection, acquisition, maintenance and preservation, etc., which need joint efforts of library professionals and associations. Electronic publishing of scholarly journals, emerging of consortia, pricing models of the publishers give new opportunities for libraries to provide instant access to information. Consortium, formed by a group of libraries, is a unique program to facilitate electronic access to scholarly databases and journals. The beneficiaries will be faculty, researchers, students and neighbor institutes engaged in pursuing higher education. Consortia will minimize the financial burden and pave the way for an enormous amount of saving of time, money, and manpower.