Electronic, Print, or Both?
Making Choices When the Budget is Shrinking:
Our Process:
We started with the Standing Order List and searched for
electronic versions. The following checklist evolved as we
made title-by-title decisions:
*Compare cost of each format (electronic may be free!)
*Arrange for trial access before purchasing an electronic
product
*Consider both user and librarian demand for a particular
format
*Test ease and speed of use of electronic vs. print
*Compare ability to search and to browse for information
*Compare currency of the information in each format
*Consider labor involved in print loose leaf services
*Monitor use of print titles with electronic versions. Stop
purchasing those that are seldom used, except for titles
with archival value
*Evaluate the archival value of print in your collectio
