Web Access to Electronic Journals and Databases in ARL Libraries

Abstract

Libraries are investing heavily in an increasing number of electronic journals and providing access to them through their websites. We set out to determine if ARL academic libraries offer the same options on their websites to access electronic journals and databases. Using a checklist, we evaluated the websites for the presence of A-Z lists, links from the catalog, a way to search electronic journals by title and subject, and a link to databases. We determined whether the library subscribed to more than one version of a journal; how they displayed coverage information; what their cataloging policy was if they cataloged their electronic journals (i.e., single vs. multiple records); and whether the holdings in the catalog were the same as the holdings on the list. We looked for the presence of citation linkers, federated searching, and subject searching of databases. Finally, we wanted to know if the links for the electronic journals went to a table of contents or directly to an article. Since we consider web page design to be an integral part of access, we asked a series of subjective questions designed to evaluate how various design features affected access. We determined the type of documentation; how easy it was to use; how and where the instructions were presented; and the amount and layout of links on the main page. We concluded that while some practices are widespread, ARL libraries are not as uniform in their treatment of electronic journals and databases as one might assume.