Collection Development Manual
Checklist for Consideration of an Electronic Product
Note: For all electronic products, distribution via the World Wide Web--including the campus network and Harlaxton College--is the preferred means of access.
- Has there been a positive review of the product published in a reputable source?
- Is this the best medium to deliver this type of information?
- Is the product compatible with library equipment?
- Does the library/campus have (or will it soon have) adequate equipment to accommodate the product's use?
- Have faculty or students expressed interest in this or a similar product?
- Will the product support specific courses currently taught or enhance the teaching method in ways which traditional resources will not?
- Does the content and form of the product justify the price?
- Will the publisher validate by IP address rather than password?
- Will the publisher include Harlaxton College in the subscription?
- Is the product's interface and other features appropriate for and usable by an undergraduate audience?
- Will this product require an excessive amount of time to learn and to teach in order to make it usable?
- Are there similar products available which should be compared with this one before a purchase decision is made?
- Has this product, in electronic format, gained wide acceptance in an academic discipline so that it has become the new standard?
- Will this product be available for a long period of time or is archival access included in the subscription?
Revised 7/17/2003 mg