Collection Development of Electronic Information Resources in Turkish University Libraries

The number of information sources available through both printed and electronic media are ever increasing. Even libraries with sizable collection development budgets are having difficulties in coping with this increase. Yet with the development of new technologies, the possibilities of innovative interlibrary cooperation projects emerge: libraries combining their efforts through various consortia are trying to get access to electronic information sources more economically. In this paper, we briefly review the state-of-the-art of Turkish university libraries and summarize the efforts to set up a university library consortium to provide consortial access to electronic information sources and services. We discuss some of the causes which are delaying the establishment of such a consortium

Does Urquhart’s Law Hold for Consortial Use of Electronic Journals?

This paper tests the validity of Urquhart’s Law (“the inter-library loan demand for a periodical is as a rule a measure of its total use”). It compares the use of print journals at the Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBIM) with the consortial use of the same journals in their electronic form by the individual libraries making up the Consortium of Turkish University Libraries (ANKOS). It also compares the on-site use of electronic journals at ULAKBIM with their consortial use at ANKOS. About 700 thousand document delivery, in-house and on-site use data and close to 28 million consortial use data representing seven years’ worth of downloads of full-text journal articles were used. Findings validate Urquhart’s Law in that a positive correlation was observed between the use of print journals at ULAKBIM and the consortial use of their electronic copies at ANKOS. The on-site and consortial use of electronic journals was also highly correlated. Both print and electronic journals that were used most often at ULAKBIM tend to get used heavily by the member libraries of ANKOS consortium, too. Findings can be used in developing consortial collection management policies and negotiate better consortial licence agreements

An Evaluation of Faculty use of the Digital Library at Ankara University, Turkey

New consortial buying models have dramatically increased the availability of online resources, particularly journal articles, in the universities and technical institutes of developing countries. The degree of acceptance and pattern of use of such materials is of great interest to library collection development. Ankara University surveyed faculty members regarding their awareness and use of these electronic materials

Portrait of a Consortium: ANKOS (Anatolian University Libraries Consortium)

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ANKOS and its dealings with vendors

The Anatolian University Libraries Consortium (ANKOS) was formally created in 2001 following joint licensing projects by four libraries in 1999 and twelve in 2000. The consortium has grown to encompass eighty-nine libraries in 2005, and the number of its contracts has increased to twenty-five. Members include Turkish university libraries and research libraries attached to hospitals and government offices. A voluntary association, ANKOS is run by a Steering Committee composed of the directors of nine member libraries with the help of staff members from those libraries. The first agreements were for print+e-access for journals and for an aggregator database, and these were mostly informal subscription arrangements. An early activity was the development of a model Turkish National Site License. That license now forms the basis for negotiations with vendors, which culminate in formal license agreements. Beginning in 2004, ANKOS contracts are for electronic-only access and are often for multiple years. © 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved

Cooperation and collaboration in electronic journal acquisition; a preliminary investigation

Library consortia have traditionally been formed in order to share print-based resources, but more recently have sought to enhance access to electronic journals. Their development has provided new opportunities both to evaluate their impact, and to identify the Critical Success Factors in cooperation in the librarianship and information field. This paper aims to review the key features of these consortia that are indicated by the literature and the extent to which they have been objectively evaluated. The key features include the benefits of consortial purchasing of electronic journals not only for libraries and their users, but also for publishers; and the different pricing and licensing models in use. This is followed by a review of the different approaches to the organization and operation of library consortia established for this purpose. This covers what is involved in forming a consortium, the different types of consortia and administrative infrastructures, and arrangements for negotiating with publishers and for cost sharing between members of the consortium. Finally the paper considers the challenges for libraries of working together in partnership. Evidence examined to date suggests that, whilst many of the claims made about the benefits of consortia may be valid, there is little empirical evidence to support most of them, and the various approaches to the organisation and operation of consortia have not been evaluated

A Success Story of an Academic Library Consortium: ANKOS

ANKOS has been very successful in linking academic institutions in Turkey to an effective and efficient organisation of consortial activities. This is illustrated by figures provided on its expansion over eighteen years. The paper takes a historical and descriptive approach to the Anatolian University Libraries Consortium (ANKOS). It aims to describe the goals, fields of activity, organizational structure, functioning and the benefits it provides to Turkish academic libraries. . The authors believe that this paper is useful for all academic librarians concerned with consortium systems, cost sharing, e-resource management, open access (OA), collaboration on national and international scales, and staff exchange, especially in the developing world

Digital Preservation and Academic Library Consortia: A Case Study of the Triangle Research Libraries Network Consortial Licenses

The scholarly communication crisis has been a chronic problem affecting libraries and publishing for the last quarter century. The current transition into a new information age presents a new set of concerns with the proliferation of electronic resources. Digital preservation, or the archiving of electronic resources for preservation and access, is an issue that must be resolved to ensure the retention of human heritage in perpetuity. This paper explores the potential role of consortia in digital preservation. An overview of the status of digital preservation precedes an examination of the consortial licensing landscape. A case study of the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), a consortium beginning to address digital preservation concerns, license agreements explores the presence, content, and provisions of archival statements. Based on the results and current digital preservation environment, this paper concludes with a proposed method for a successful consortial digital preservation project