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Considerations for individual libraries purchasing online resources

With the governor's signature of Act 226, formerly SB273, SCLS member libraries now can purchase online resources specifically for their own patrons, including access outside of the library only for their own patrons.

This change gives SCLS member libraries flexibility in purchasing online resources, but there are things to consider before making any product decisions.

Patrons around the system will have access to different things

While this statement may be obvious, there are considerations that may not be so obvious:

• Patrons may use multiple libraries on a regular basis. Because they only "belong" to one library, they will only be able to use the online resources available to their "owning" library (from outside the library).
  
  
• Patrons who use your library in person may not have access to the same resources from home because they do not reside in your service area.
  
  
• Publicity available in the library must be carefully worded and disseminated to make certain that patrons understand who can have access from home.
  
  
• Patrons may request assistance from a library on a product that the library does not own, since they may be uncertain about what library they used at home.
  
  
• Libraries may encounter more pressure from patrons to purchase electronic resources that other SCLS libraries have.
  

If you purchase a new electronic resource, consider notifying other libraries that may share patrons with you. SCLS will maintain a list of electronic resources purchased by SCLS libraries, and it will include any electronic resource for which SCLS is providing authentication.



SCLS will provide authentication for electronic resources available to patrons of individual libraries.

• Libraries will need to determine who should be defined as their "patrons". Making this determination may involve discussions with surrounding libraries.
  
  
• For LINK libraries, PSTATS will be used as the linkage between a patron and a library.
  
  
• If a library is planning to purchase an electronic resource, and wants SCLS to provide authentication, it is crucial to discuss the purchase with SCLS Administration staff before completing the purchase. Some products will not work with our method of authentication.

SCLS will continue to coordinate electronic resource purchases for the system, but will not coordinate purchases for smaller groups of libraries.

• Our goal will continue to be to get the best price for online resources. We feel that we can do this best by coordinating purchases for the system as a whole.
  
  While these changes in the law give individual libraries more flexibility, we still believe that our focus should be providing equal service to all patrons in the SCLS service area.
  
  We will continue to have the same process of evaluating and selecting electronic resources to be purchased for system-wide use.
  
  
• We will continue to provide training and support for electronic resources purchased for system-wide use. We do not intend to do so for electronic resources purchased by individual libraries or groups of libraries.

For more information about online resource authentication, contact Stef Morrill.

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