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Collection Development of Internet Resources
I. General Collection Guidelines
A. Purpose
B. Guidelines
II. Subject Specific Guidelines (to be developed by selectors in conjunction with faculty)
B. Subject Guidelines for Collection Development of Internet Resources
I. General Collection Guidelines
To supplement traditional cataloged print resources; enhance the Library Catalog as a tool for access to information; provide students and faculty with a more comprehensive array of research and instructional materials; provide guidelines for those responsible for and interested in developing the Library's collection of internet resources.
The University of South Carolina is responsible for undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate instruction, for research, and for public service programs. As such, the mission of the Library must be in accordance with the University's mission. As the University's chief resource for books, serials, maps, government documents, microform, bibliographic databases, and other library materials, the Library's primary purpose is defined as: Providing support for the curriculum, research, and service responsibilities of the University.
B. Guidelines
Format- The Internet offers a variety of media for accessing information (Webpages, Listservs, Usenet news, FTPs, gopher sites, and fulltext editions of books, periodicals and government documents). Internet resources that can enhance the scholarly and instructional pursuits of the University (research and teaching) will be collected, evaluated and added to the Catalog.
Languages - Resources in languages supported by the University will be collected. While English is the primary collecting language, where appropriate, other languages will also be collected depending on the needs of a department. Other languages include: French, Greek, Latin, German, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Swahili, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Author/Web Creator Qualifications - Internet resources selected for inclusion in the Library Catalog should give an indication of its author and their qualifications for publishing in a particular discipline or area. Search within the document for affiliations with established institutions or a funding body.
Statement of Purpose - Search within the document for indications of its purpose. For example, is the resource intended to instruct, explain, or persuade? Resources that merely advertise a service or a product are discouraged from the collection.
Intended Audience - The University's chief aim is to provide instruction and to support the research efforts of its students and faculty. Resources directed towards this audience are strongly encouraged.
Date of Revision Statement(s) - all web sites should indicate when pages were last revised, (updated) and/or published. FTPs, gopher sites and online versions of books, periodicals and documents should also have dates of publications or postings. In addition, Listservs and Usenet news should list the date an item was posted.
Quality of Links (web sites) - Due to the dynamic nature of the internet (particularly web sites) and the multiplicity of links within web documents, it would be an unlikely task to attempt to evaluate links leading from the resource document. It is the responsibility of the website creator/sponsor to evaluate and update links leading from its own document. Generally, if the homepage of a web site fits within the general criteria of these guidelines, the site should be included for cataloging.
Access Options (text-only, large print, audio, etc.) - In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities should be able to access the same services the University offers to non-disabled individuals. While the widest possible access options are desirable they may not be available. Internet resources which increase the likelyhood
of such access are encouraged, however, absence of such options should not exclude it for possible collection. Such resources may include those which provide text-only options (i.e., for individuals using Screen Reader technology), large print options, or audio.
Exclusions - Websites which merely advertise a service or product.
References
Birchfield, Marilee. (1997). Evaluating Internet-Based Information Sources. Unpublished manuscript, University of South Carolina at Columbia. Available at the Thomas Cooper Library Reference Department.
Brandt, D. Scott. Why we need to evaluate what we find on the Internet. [Online] Available http://www.lib.purdue.edu/research/techman/eval.html, January, 1997.
Grassian, Ester. Thinking critically about WWW resources. [Online] Available http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/, February 20, 1997.
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This page updated
May 9, 2008