This article was downloaded by: [University of Washington Libraries] On: 12 July 2010 Access details: Access Details: [subscription number 906873028] Publisher Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37- 41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK The Reference Librarian Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t792306953 The Life Cycle of Digital Reference Sources Lesley S. J. Farmera a Department of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling, California State University, Long Beach, CA To cite this Article Farmer, Lesley S. J.(2009) 'The Life Cycle of Digital Reference Sources', The Reference Librarian, 50: 2, 117 — 136 To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/02763870902755957 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02763870902755957 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. The Reference Librarian, 50:117–136, 2009 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0276-3877 print/1541-1117 online DOI: 10.1080/02763870902755957 WREF0276-38771541-1117The Reference Librarian,LibrarianThe Vol. 50, No. 2, February 2009: pp. Life1–31 Cycle of Digital Reference Sources LifeL. S. CycleJ. Farmer of Digital Reference Sources LESLEY S. J. FARMER Department of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling, California State University, Long Beach, CA Academic libraries increasingly complement print-based reference collections with digitally-based reference for financial and educa- tional reasons. However, library collection policies have sometimes lagged behind the technology curve. Too often, reference collection management practices have reflected a responsive attitude rather than a responsible, strategic stance. Many costs are associated with this service, and intellectual and psychological consider- ations make these resources a complex set of issues. This article examines the life cycle of digital reference sources by focusing on subscription databases: assessment, selection, acquisition, Web presentation and maintenance, archiving and preservation, and de-selection. It offers factors to consider because academic librarians must make decisions about these increasingly dynamic collections. KEYWORDS digital reference sources, database, academic libraries, collection development “Projects should plan for the life-cycle management of digital resources, including the initial assessment of resources, selection of materials and Downloaded By: [University of Washington Libraries] At: 20:33 12 July 2010 digital rights management; the technical questions of digitizing all formats; and the long-term issues of sustainability, user assessment, digital asset management and preservation.” (National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage 1999, introduction) Address correspondence to Lesley S. J. Farmer, California State University, Long Beach, Department of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840-2201. E-mail: [email protected] 117 118 L. S. J. Farmer INTRODUCTION Increasingly, academic libraries are migrating from print-based to digitally- based reference collections. Publishers are offering more electronic products, often at more attractive prices than for their print editions. Librarians realize the benefits of remote access and the possibilities of multiple simultaneous use. Concurrently, clientele (particularly millennial students) are demanding convenient online reference tools. Nevertheless, library collection policies have sometimes lagged behind the technology curve. Too often, reference collection management prac- tices have reflected a reactive attitude rather than a responsible, strategic stance. Just as individuals may focus on buying a car from a dealer who offers a great price but forget to think about whether that dealer will ser- vice the car well later, so too can academic librarians forget about mainte- nance and de-selection issues. The actual picture of electronic reference resources is not as simple as plugging in a computer and clicking on the Internet connection. Many costs are associated with this service, and intel- lectual and psychological considerations make these resources a complex set of issues. This article examines the life cycle of digital reference sources by focusing on subscription databases and offers factors to consider because academic librarians must make decisions about these increasingly dynamic collections. OVERVIEW OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES IN LIBRARIES Traditional reference collections usually focused on print reference sources and access tools, occasionally incorporating serials, such as the monthly Current Biography and Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature, and binder services, such as Morningstar, to provide timely updates. With the advent of microfiche and CD-ROMs, the line between reference access tools and refer- ence sources started to blur, along with the separation of reference and the Downloaded By: [University of Washington Libraries] At: 20:33 12 July 2010 general collection. EBSCO’s index product line reflected the merging of a searchable index and the ultimate source itself. Currently, the digital refer- ence collection typically consists of web sites (e.g., http://www.lii.org and http://www.refdesk.com), e-document reference monographs (e.g., http:// www.free-e-books.net/reference.html) and ABC-CLIO’s e-book line and databases, which can refer to several types of reference sources from in- house customized databases of local resources to article aggregators. As early as 2002, nearly half of the undergraduates surveyed used electronic scholarly sources almost exclusively (Friedlander 2002). By that same time, some academic libraries were spending half of their materials budget on electronic resources (Bailey et al., 2003). Life Cycle of Digital Reference Sources 119 Technology has the potential to help all individuals gain physical access to reference materials. Thousands of reference resources are available in at least two formats: print and electronic. Cost and space enter into the decision, but accessibility is another factor as well. Particularly as distance education has become a mainstay of many academic institutions, electronic reference collections help address equity access issues. The Digital Accessible Information System Consortium (2005, 1) has developed international open standards for digital resources with the intent that “all published information, at time of release to the general population, be available in an accessible, highly functional, feature rich format and at no greater cost, to persons with print disabilities.” The consortium also provides open-source tools to help publishers and librarians produce and convert material for inclusive use. The question of the viability of digital reference collections is moot at this point. Indeed, one might consider the validity of print reference collec- tions to be a more salient issue. What has changed in the last decade? Greater availability of materials, rising replacement costs, increasing user demand, improved technology, more sophisticated student experiences, and the changing nature of education itself. The single issue of educational equity, addressing needs of individuals with special needs as well as distance learners, requires that reference materials be made accessible for an ever broader population. For example, the American Psychological Association stopped publishing its 80-year-old print version of Psychological Abstracts in 2006, largely due to the increased cost of printing and the steady migration of subscribers to its digital form, PsycInfo. Nevertheless, electronic reference collections have their downside: connectivity and other infrastructure issues, privacy and security dynamics, access and dissemination rights, and vendor problems (e.g., uneven service or company buy-outs). More fundamentally, libraries are left with no documents at all in lean budget times when online subscriptions must be cut; at least with print items, the older materials can still be accessed. In that respect, electronic reference collection development might be more accurately labeled reference access development, particularly because few permanent options are offered by vendors. Ownership, when copyright does not make Downloaded By: [University of Washington Libraries] At: 20:33 12 July 2010 it a closed system, becomes trading rights. OVERVIEW OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT For more than a decade, academic librarians have been trying to develop systematic practices relative to electronic resource management, from selection to maintenance. Probably the most significant effort has been led by the Digital