Diversity in Collection Development: Comparing Access Strategies to Alternative Press Periodicals

Abstract

This study compares methods of providing access to diverse points of view as represented by journals indexed in Alternative Press Index (API). To determine University at Albany patron access to nonmainstream periodicals, local print subscriptions, expedited interlibrary loan through resource-sharing consortia, and electronic full-text packages were compared to periodicals listed in API. Electronic full-text packages provide some added access to nonmainstream journals. However, much greater access was found to be provided by participation in resource-sharing networks.

An Alternative Vision of Librarianship: James Danky and the Socio-cultural Politics of Collection Development

“…Many of them turned into Web-based full-text aggregators offering "product bundling" (Covi & Cragin, 2004, p. 314) when libraries undertook a large-scale migration to electronic journals as a result of "patrons' preference for online access" and "budgetary constraints and reductions" caused by soaring print journal prices (Watson, 2005, p. 200). Yet full-text coverage of alternative publications remained low in many of the aggregated databases to which libraries subscribed, hovering between 6 percent and 12.3 percent of API periodicals (LaFond, Van Ullen, & Irving, 2000). One reason for this was that electronic aggregators tried to make their bundles as attractive as possible for libraries (and as profitable for themselves) by concentrating on titles recommended by "standard sources" such as Magazines for Libraries, "journals represented in important secondary databases, such as CINAHL, EconLit, ERIC, INSPEC, MEDLINE, MLA International Bibliography, and PsychINFO" (Chambers & So, 2004, p. 186).…”

Interlending and document supply: a review of recent literature – XL

“…While many researchers are turning to fulltext electronic journals, there is still a high ± many would say growing ± demand for ILL services, whether this be from commercial document suppliers or from more traditional resource sharing partnerships. Where ILL demand is for articles from non-mainstream journals, LaFond et al (2000) conclude that resource-sharing networks are the best source from which to satisfy ILL requests. In a comparison of the coverage of nonmainstream journal titles by local print subscriptions, electronic full-text packages and ILL from resource-sharing consortia, the third of these options emerged as the winner.…”

Forgotten Hispano-American Literature: Representation of Hispano-American Presses in Academic Libraries

“…Different authors attest to the need to advocate for collection materials that represent the whole spectrum of human knowledge beyond what is produced by the dominant society. 29 On a similar note, Rita A. Marinko and Kristin H. Gerhard advocate for access to a wide representation of materials as a means for libraries to promote pluralism. 30…”