Building Electronic Library Collections

Citation

Duckett, B. (2002), "Building Electronic Library Collections", Library Review, Vol. 51 No. 5, pp. 270-271. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2002.51.5.270.4

What exactly is an “electronic library”? Print‐based collections are not without their own problems of nomenclature, but I can think of several definitions for an electronic library. Author Diane Kovacs is alive to the problem and defines an electronic library as “a collection of information resources electronically formatted from a variety of resources including the Internet and the Web.” In this book, the sub‐title of which is The Essential Guide to Selection Criteria and Core Subject Collections, she is specifically concerned with Web‐based resources that librarians “collect” with a particular user groups in mind. “Physically”, she tells us, “‘electronic libraries’ (or e‐libraries for short) usually appear as a compilation of links on a Web page or site maintained by a library. As such, the simplest definition of an e‐library is ‘a Web‐published collection of Web based resources’.” A distinction is made between an “e‐library”, a “digital library” (defined as a collection of full‐text materials created from print or holographic primary documents or artefacts) and a “virtual library” (generally perceived as offering service as well as resources). The classification is interesting, if not entirely convincing.

Well, how do you collect and record Websites? Bookmark them by adding to your “Favourites”? Add links to your Website for every site that has helped to answer a question? Note them on 5 × 3 inch cards? The time has come for a more deliberate and scientific approach to Website collection and Website management. While budgets and shelf space are determinants to keep book and journal collections under control, what are the driving forces for Website control? Relevancy, time, clutter, and unnecessary duplication are suggested as forces in making electronic collection development a deliberate process. These are, of course, also relevant for print‐based stock revision, and in Building Electronic Library Collections Kovacs adapts the tried and tested methods which have proved successful in print based collection to the electronic environment.

In Chapter One the author briefly reviews the e‐library collection development literature and then presents a framework within which librarians can plan and develop e‐libraries. Specific strategies are recommended for collecting, evaluating, and selecting Web‐based information resources. There is much of value here for the newcomer: sources to use, things to look for in evaluating Websites, security issues, and Stuff and good stuff! The rest of the book covers specific subject or type of information resource. Each chapter identifies specific evaluation criteria and recommends a core collection of Websites within the subject in question. These subjects are:

1. (1)

   ready‐reference materials;

2. (2)

   business, jobs, and employment;

3. (3)

   health and medicine;

4. (4)

   legal information;

5. (5)

   biological sciences, social sciences, and technology; and

6. (6)

   education, current awareness, and readers advisory.

I have to say straightaway that this is not an easy book to use. The treatment is very didactic, with numerous headings, sub‐headings, questions, dogmatic statements and repetition. There is a lot of Diane Kovacs in here, of how she did things and copies of her questionnaires. The structure is far from obvious. Many terms are used without explaining what they mean or stand for, and, quite frankly, the text is not well written. However, there is a great deal of useful information here, and my Website collecting instinct will probably triumph over the reading – and the message! – of the text. There are lengthy lists of core Websites to browse, several “e‐library builder stories” to see how others have gone about the business (including Heriot‐Watt University’s remarkable Pinakes site), and usefully annotated lists of references and Webliographies. But I should look at how Website resources on different subjects should be evaluated, why I should be clear about my purpose and plan, and how to identify and collect Web resources intelligently and effectively. The book is well produced, has an index, but could not the typeface be a little smaller?

The Websites, and comments about them apart, though, the advice on how to go about collecting sites is really rather obvious and repetitive. A feature worthy of note, though, is that the book has a companion Web site which features Webliographies of metasites; core Internet reference collections; a tutorial on advanced Web searching tips and techniques, and another on basic Web page creation with Netscape Composer. This is kept continuously updated. I do not believe I am saying this, but perhaps this is a case of “Skip the book, use the Website!” But there is a dilemma. Not only does the author’s preface give the Website, she also gives the login name and password. I guess this information is privileged (and free) to those who buy the book (or review it), but what about library users?