Practice and Reflection on Library Consortium Purchasing of Electronic Resources in China

Abstract

[Purpose / Significance] Through review of the current status of electronic resource purchasing consortium, we discuss the current problems and put forward improvement suggestions. [Method / Process] This paper explores technological development of different types of consortia, provides an in-depth analysis of organization management framework, purchase workflow and ways of cost allocation, summarizes the features and highlights and analyzes the shortcomings or problems. By referring to typical purchase cases of library consortia in and outside of China and studying related studies, we put forward countermeasures and suggestions in six aspects by combining the actual situation of libraries in funding and platforms. [Results / Conclusions] The paper points out the effective ways to improve the purchase efficiency of library consortia: 1) establishing improved operation systems; 2) optimizing price models and expanding fund-raising channels; 3) building the evaluation indicator system for evaluation of electronic resources based on multi-dimensional indicators including content, use and service; 4) integrating internal resources of the consortium and constructing unified information exchange platforms; 5) raising awareness of the law, and strengthening the leadership of the consortium in long term preservation and permanent use; 6) paying attention to cooperation with multiple parties, building consortia of different types in a flexible way and sharpening the competitive edge.

Keywords

• library|electronic resources|consortium purchasing|purchasing process|problems and countermeasures