Sarah reported today’s topic is e-resource collection development.
She asked everyone in attendance to please introduce themselves and discuss their involvement in e-resource collection development.
- M said their public library uses the best-seller lists and hold reports as a basis for ordering. They use this process for ordering from Overdrive as well. Weeding is done in Overdrive.
- L uses Overdrive reports and best-seller lists to order their materials. Professional journals such as Library Journal and Booklist as well as recommended titles from magazines such as People, Entertainment Weekly and Parade are also used.
- E said their public library has an e-book budget which is 1/3 of the book budget.
- J does not do e-book orders at the college. Vendors like EBSCO have curated collections they use. Patrons can use the Discovery system to find titles. SUNY has a library collection system they use to get discounts, so costs have dropped for them. They were able to get rid of many print magazines, and now use Flipster for digital magazines. Also, they now have digital subscriptions to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. They are trying to use broader-scale services.
Sarah invited those in attendance to share their experiences purchasing databases and other e-resources.
- L said her library is small and doesn’t have the funds to purchase their own databases. They rely on other databases purchased by Central Reference and other libraries.
- M added Ancestry and Heritage Quest are their library's popular databases as is ProQuest. He uses stats to research what patrons are using. Universal Class, which offers thousands of classes, is also popular.
- S said their public library has Hoopla and patrons can use credits their virtual courses.
- E asked if anyone has tried ordering individual titles on Hoopla.
Sarah wanted to know if anyone is using marketing materials to promote their e-resource services. What type of materials? Is anyone using LibGuides?
- M did a YouTube video on using Libby. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJKn4CeqtQ0)
- J mentioned there are many e-book options that have student benefits. His selling point is: Work smarter not harder. Streaming video is a good source and transcriptions are available in Discovery. They also have a large DVD collection because of a film course offered, but also use Films On Demand.
- M shared the Infobase link: https://www.infobase.com/products/?_sft_product_tag=streaming-video
- J said the college’s database page has an entry point to Films On Demand at almost every database listing. Their LibGuides also direct people to resources, and YouTube video tutorials work as well.
Sarah asked if anyone is using other marketing strategies.
- M said he tried Blind Date with a Book at their public library, but it didn’t go over very well. Only two of 20 packs were checked out. He also said they use static displays, but he would prefer to use something that pops out more.
- E shared a quote she heard: “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough.”
- M said he promotes NOVELny frequently because it has free resources offered in New York state. (https://www.novelnewyork.org/index.php)
Sarah also wanted to know is anyone doing book talks.
- J said he didn’t have much opportunity to do them in an academic setting.
The topic of weeding digital collections also came up for discussion. When? Where? Why?
- J noted more publishers are moving towards time-based materials or subscription methods.
- M and L said they use Overdrive reports on what to weed.
- Sarah will forward collection maintenance resources to Carolyn.
- M added Overdrive allows limited renewals on its items. If there are no holds on an item, it can be renewed.
E asked about budget numbers? Are these amounts adequate?
- S said her budget increased due to more services such as Kanopy and Hoopla being offered,
- M added their public library's digital collection has its own budget, which is the largest part of the collection development budget.
- M said their public library's budget increased as well due to the pandemic.
Sarah said an e-mail would be sent out to schedule the next meeting date.
The meeting adjourned at 11:53 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Hewel