Information Resources Development for Electronic Publications

Abstract

The technological changes and automation opportunities by government and private sectors, changing user needs and expectations, and current economic situations have forced academic institutions to reexamine their collection policies and services. In fiscal year 1995/96 one of the Strategic Objectives at the University of Arizona was to develop a library policy for selecting and acquiring electronic products. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how this policy was developed. This study focuses on the methodology used to gather data from library customers, components of the policy, library organization, and the role of selectors. Other issues include trends and initiatives such as duplication, archives, copyright, licensing, and partnerships affecting electronic resources including government publications.