The Current Landscape of Electronic Resources Access Issues

Description

This report outlines the technical components through which library end users gain access to electronic materials through the discovery system environment and describes the common points of failure within them. The report also discusses the troubleshooting techniques and tools through which access issues are identified and diagnosed. The report closes with a discussion on new technological developments in library discovery and access, highlighting the new opportunities for access failure, as well as the initiatives aimed at mitigating these issues. This report examines the current landscape of electronic resource access issues through the lens of the prevailing access tool employed by academic libraries: the discovery service.

Ashley Zmau has more than ten years of academic library experience and is coauthor of Electronic Resources Librarianship: A Practical Guide for Librarians (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018). She is the serials cataloger for the Dallas County Community College District and was previously the electronic resources librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington and the electronic resources management librarian at Southern Methodist University.

Holly Talbott has more than six years of experience with electronic resources and is coauthor of Electronic Resources Librarianship: A Practical Guide for Librarians (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018). She is the electronic resources librarian at Kent State University and was previously the electronic resources and licensing librarian at the University of Arizona Libraries and the electronic resources librarian at Lasell College.

Chapter 1: Introduction
    References
Chapter 2: Components of E-resource Access
    Search and Discovery 
    Terminology
    Knowledge Management Systems and Link Administration
Authentication
Sources and Types of Metadata
Comprehensive Access Chain
References
Chapter 3: Overview of Common Issues and Symptoms
    Literature Summary
Common E-resource Access Issues
References
Chapter 4: Methods of Diagnosis
    Troubleshooting Methodology: A Modified Version of Ross’s DECSAR
    Reactive Troubleshooting
    Proactive Troubleshooting
    References
Chapter 5: Current Initiatives Aimed at Mitigating Access Issues
    Metadata Initiatives
    Authentication Services
    Other Initiatives
    References
Chapter 6: New Developments in Library Discovery and Access
    New Developments in Linking: LibKey API and GetFTR
    New Horizons for Discovery: Elsevier, Yewno, and EBSCO Concept Maps
    Automation of E-resource Workflows
    Moving to the Cloud
    The Death of IP Authentication 
    References
Chapter 7: Conclusion