Horn Library Content Strategy

E-Resources Management

IP Authentication

All of Horn Library's subscription-based electronic resources are available on the internet, and in most cases, access is provided via IP authentication using the EZProxy protocol which enables remote access.  Increasingly, vendors are adopting single-sign-on for authentication.   Lack of IP-based or SSO access can be a dealbreaker for less important resources.

Website Access

Users access the library's resources through the library website.  Besides an A-Z listing and listing by subject, access is also provided through numerous database, topical, and course guides. 

Discovery Tool

ProQuest's Summon "discovery" tool, which we call Power Search, enables searching across most journal databases, e-book collections, the library's catalog, selected research databases, and quality internet content.  Databases not included in Power Search can be accessed on the Databases A-Z page on the Library website. 

Open URL Link Resolver

The Library utilizes ProQuest's 360 Link article linker.  If a user comes across an article that is not available in full-text in the database he or she is searching, 360 Link connects to the full-text, if available, in another database to which the library subscribes.  This feature is enabled for Google Scholar as well as the library's subscription databases.  

Library Catalog

The Library catalog includes books, e-books, and media.  The catalog is listed on the Databases A-Z list. 

Access through Library Computers

In the course of resources migrating from print to various electronic formats, such as CD-Rom or specialized software platforms, some resources were available only through logging in on library computers.  Gradually, the library has replaced these types of limited-access resources with resources available on the internet.  Currently, only Bloomberg has to be accessed through dedicated computers in the Cutler Center or in the Library.  

For all databases for which usage statistics are available, Horn Library collects statistics on a monthly basis and aggregates them annually by fiscal year.  The Electronic Resources Librarian manages the data which come in many disparate formats.  Providers do not track usage consistently; items  tracked are log-ins, searches, page views, downloads, turn-aways, but not every vendor tracks the same things.  COUNTER-compliant usage statistics are preferred and utilized whenever available. 

The Electronic Resources Librarian standardizes the data and computes cost per use and percent change in use which serve as metrics for assessing value.

Horn Library launched a user demand-based model of e-book acquisitions in August 2011 as one way of building an e-book collection that better reflects user needs.  This demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) collection is on the Ebook Central platform.  It  began as a primarily business-focused collection and has expanded across all disciplines.  The collection is seamlessly integrated with the subscription collection as well as owned titles on the platform.  10-minute use of a title or viewing/downloading/printing 10 pages triggers the purchase of the e-book.  Books pre-selected for DDA are published no earlier than two years prior to the current year and also have a cost ceiling.  Careful pre-selection of appropriate subjects has resulted in purchases that fit well with Babson's objectives.  

In addition, we have a DDA program with JSTOR covering academic publishers across all disciplines. This program was launched in June 2015.  

Similarly, Business Expert Press makes "evidence-based acquisitions" available.  This entails an up-front payment for access to their entire collection, and at the end of one year, the library can retain for perpetual ownership a set number of titles, selected based on usage. Under this programs, we also select titles to own based on Babson authorship, regardless of usage. 

Since 2015, Horn Library has also made streaming film content available to the Babson community through a DDA program with Kanopy

The key considerations for subscription renewals are:

  • Is the resource embedded in the curriculum either in the form of classroom instruction or essential to completing course assignments? 
  • Is it an important resource for faculty research or accreditation? 
  • What has the usage of the resource been over the past several years?  Are we getting a good return on our investment, measured by cost per use? 
  • If it appears to be an underutilized resource, does it fill a specific niche in terms of content for courses that may not be offered very often?
  • If there is overlap with other resources, does its value lie in the access it provides to executive education and similar programs who cannot use the other resources? 
  • Have we experienced frequent technical issues and has the vendor been responsive? 
  • What would the impact be if we canceled the resource and how would we address it?