MANAGING SELECTION FOR ELECTRONIC RESOURCES: KENT STATE UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS A NEW SYSTEM TO AUTOMATE SELECTION

摘要

Kent State University has developed a centralized system that manages the communication and work related to the review and selection of commercially available electronic resources. It is an automated system that tracks the review process, provides selectors with price and trial information, and compiles reviewers' feedback about the resource. It manages workflow for departments that provide services for pricing requests and dispenses product and trial information to targeted selectors. The principal benefits of the system are the reclamation of costly staff time, improved communications, a method to apply standards for selection, coordination for the discovery and review of new resources, and the provision of records of past reviews to help prioritize resources for future purchases. This paper provides a context for the conditions that lead to its development, the implementation, its effect on communications, and improvements to workflow as it relates to product research.