Electronic resources access: issues and resolutions in two academic libraries

Abstract

Abstract: In late 20th and early 21st centuries, library automation and the Internet revolutionized information access and library operations around the world. The effect on academic institutions has been profound. It enables users to access library resources from sites hundreds or thousands of miles away. Libraries in academic institutions can now provide information access to off-campus faculty and students wherever they are located. To meet the ever increasing demands for information availability, academic libraries must now subscribe to electronic resources such as e-books, full-text e-journals and online bibliographic databases in addition to the printed formats. While the availability of these electronic resources enable remote access to needed information, concomitantly they present issues and challenges. Some of the issues and challenges are: Access Control. Volatility of coverage by aggregation services. Overlapping coverage of the same title by multiple vendors This paper will describe in detail and depth these and other issues and challenges facing two university libraries in the United States and librarians attempts to resolve the problems.