GLC Collection Development & Resource Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the context of electronic resource management, what is a 'perpetual access' right?
- The ability to renew a subscription indefinitely at the same price
- The right to permanently access content licensed during a subscription period, even after cancellation (Correct answer)
- Unlimited simultaneous user access to a database
- Access to a database from any location without authentication
Correct answer: The right to permanently access content licensed during a subscription period, even after cancellation
Perpetual access means the library retains the right to access content for the subscription period even if the subscription is later cancelled.
Question 2: A librarian wants to compare the library's collection against a recognized list of recommended titles. This process is called:
- Deselection analysis
- Checklist method evaluation (Correct answer)
- Usage statistics review
- Demand-driven acquisition
Correct answer: Checklist method evaluation
The checklist method involves comparing the library's holdings against a standard bibliography or recommended list to identify strengths and gaps.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of demand-driven acquisition (DDA) for e-books?
- Purchasing all titles from a publisher's annual catalog
- Allowing patrons to trigger purchases through discovery and access of titles in a pool (Correct answer)
- Subscribing to a fixed package of e-books for one year
- Selecting e-books based solely on librarian subject expertise
Correct answer: Allowing patrons to trigger purchases through discovery and access of titles in a pool
DDA (also called patron-driven acquisition) allows patron use—such as viewing a record or reading a certain number of pages—to automatically trigger a purchase or short-term loan.
Question 4: When budgeting for serials, which cost factor most significantly distinguishes serials from monographs?
- One-time purchase price
- Ongoing and often escalating subscription costs (Correct answer)
- Processing and cataloging fees
- Interlibrary loan charges
Correct answer: Ongoing and often escalating subscription costs
Serials require ongoing, recurring subscription payments that frequently increase annually, unlike monographs which are typically one-time purchases.
Question 5: Which organization publishes the 'Core Collections' series (formerly H.W. Wilson Standard Catalogs) used as selection tools by librarians?
- American Library Association
- EBSCO Information Services (Correct answer)
- R.R. Bowker
- Library of Congress
Correct answer: EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services publishes the Core Collections series, which provides curated recommended title lists for public and school libraries across various formats.
Question 6: A library is considering canceling several print journal subscriptions in favor of electronic access. Which issue should be evaluated FIRST?
- The color quality of the print issues
- Whether electronic versions offer equivalent or full-text content coverage (Correct answer)
- The number of pages per issue
- Whether the journal is indexed in a major print index
Correct answer: Whether electronic versions offer equivalent or full-text content coverage
Before canceling print subscriptions, librarians must verify that electronic versions provide equivalent coverage, including backfile access and full-text availability.
Question 7: Which term describes the practice of sharing resources and responsibilities for collection building among a group of libraries?
- Cooperative collection development (Correct answer)
- Centralized cataloging
- Outsourced acquisitions
- Universal borrowing
Correct answer: Cooperative collection development
Cooperative collection development involves multiple libraries coordinating their collecting efforts to avoid duplication, fill gaps, and maximize collective resources.
GLC Collection Development & Resource Management 3
In the context of electronic resource management, what is a 'perpetual access' right?