MLS Information Resources & Collection Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which open access model requires authors or their institutions to pay a fee so that an article is made freely available immediately upon publication?
- Green open access
- Gold open access (Correct answer)
- Diamond open access
- Bronze open access
Correct answer: Gold open access
Gold open access involves publishing in a fully open access journal where an Article Processing Charge (APC) is typically paid to make content immediately available.
Question 2: A library is evaluating whether to purchase a streaming video platform for course reserves. Which factor is most specific to licensing streaming media compared to print?
- Availability of metadata records
- Concurrent user limits and streaming rights terms (Correct answer)
- Whether the vendor offers DDA
- The Dewey or LC classification used
Correct answer: Concurrent user limits and streaming rights terms
Streaming media licenses typically specify the number of simultaneous users allowed and what educational uses (e.g., course reserves, public performance) are permitted.
Question 3: Which metadata standard is most commonly used to describe and share digital library collection objects across institutions?
- MARC 21
- Dublin Core (Correct answer)
- ISBD
- EAD
Correct answer: Dublin Core
Dublin Core is a widely adopted, simple metadata standard designed for interoperability and cross-institutional sharing of digital resource descriptions.
Question 4: What is the primary function of an Integrated Library System (ILS) acquisitions module?
- To generate reading recommendations for patrons
- To manage purchase orders, fund accounting, and vendor records for library materials (Correct answer)
- To create catalog records for new items
- To administer interlibrary loan requests
Correct answer: To manage purchase orders, fund accounting, and vendor records for library materials
The acquisitions module of an ILS tracks orders, encumbers funds, records receipts, and manages vendor relationships throughout the purchasing workflow.
Question 5: A special library at a law firm needs to evaluate whether to retain a print reporter series or rely solely on Westlaw. Which cost consideration is LEAST relevant to this decision?
- Annual subscription cost of Westlaw
- Shelf space and binding costs for the print volumes
- The publisher's original list price when the series launched (Correct answer)
- Staff time needed to update and maintain the print set
Correct answer: The publisher's original list price when the series launched
Historical list prices at launch are not relevant to a current cost-benefit analysis comparing ongoing subscription versus print maintenance costs.
Question 6: Under the doctrine of First Sale (17 U.S.C. § 109), which of the following is a library legally permitted to do?
- Reproduce and distribute unlimited digital copies of a purchased e-book
- Lend a legally purchased physical book to a patron without paying additional royalties (Correct answer)
- Stream a purchased DVD to remote patrons simultaneously
- Translate a purchased print book into another language for its collection
Correct answer: Lend a legally purchased physical book to a patron without paying additional royalties
The First Sale doctrine allows the owner of a lawfully purchased physical copy to lend, resell, or otherwise dispose of that specific copy without infringing copyright.
Question 7: A library consortium uses a 'patron-driven acquisition' (PDA) model for e-books. What typically triggers an automatic purchase under this model?
- A librarian submits a purchase request after a reference interview
- A patron reaches a defined threshold of interactions with a title (e.g., views, page turns, or time spent) (Correct answer)
- The vendor's algorithm selects titles based on bestseller lists
- Approval plans automatically order all titles in a subject profile
Correct answer: A patron reaches a defined threshold of interactions with a title (e.g., views, page turns, or time spent)
In PDA, titles are loaded into the catalog and an automatic purchase is triggered when a patron meets a preset usage threshold, ensuring purchases reflect demonstrated demand.
MLS Information Resources & Collection Management 4
Which open access model requires authors or their institutions to pay a fee so that an article is made freely available immediately upon publication?