University at Buffalo. University Libraries

Access to Electronic Resources

Other documents which were used in the preparation of Access to Electronic Resources include Review of the Libraries' E-journals Region, Access to Electronic Resources (A Document for Use in Considering Changes to Access to Electronic Resources, Fall/Winter 1998), UB Libraries Catalog Access to Products in the Online Resources Region (Document for Review, December 7, 1998-January 7, 1999), and "Draft Interim Guidelines for Cataloging Electronic Resources" (Library of Congress, 1998).

It has also been appropriate to monitor developments and practices in other libraries since these documents were prepared. Examples include Old Dominion University, University of Washington, and University of Tennessee. Manuals created updated since Feb. 1999 include Cornell, and VIVA (The Virtual Library of Virginia. Of particular note is the Final report of the PCC Standing Committee on Automation (SCA). Task Group on Journals in Aggregator Databases. A valuable discussion of the issues involved with providing access for full text journals and journal articles is Aggregation or aggravation? Optimizing access to full-text journals, by Karen Calhoun and Bill Kara.

The present document replaces two earlier policy statements : Electronic Journals in the UB Catalog and on the Libraries' Web Site (1996) and Electronic Books and Pamphlets in the UB Catalog and on the Libraries' Web Site (1997).

If a processing unit is already providing access to the print equivalent, the processing unit should also provide access to the electronic version. This means that there can be multiple records in the UB Libraries Catalog for an electronic resource for which there is a print equivalent.

The only processing unit which should provide access to an electronic resource for which there is no print equivalent or for which there are no print holdings is the processing unit through which the electronic resource is first ordered or selected. This means that there should be only one record in the UB Libraries Catalog for an electronic resource for which there is no print equivalent or which there are no print holdings.

Example: Information technology and libraries

Selection

• Subject specialists and unit library reference staff use the Ejournal Request Form or other means to request catalog access to e-journals including electronic versions of print journals. Titles for which only table of contents or table of contents plus abstracts are available electronically are not accessible through the catalog.
• Technical services staff add e-journals to the catalog when the titles are already held in print format and the electronic version is available at no additional cost.
• Titles included in services such as JSTOR or Project Muse are added to the catalog as they become available.

• The catalog is the primary means of accessing e-journals.
• Any e-journal for which full or partial content is available electronically and which is accessible from a unit library page should also be accessible through the catalog. Titles for which only the table of contents or table of contents plus abstracts are available electronically are not accessible through the catalog.
• The catalog record contains the URL for the e-journal. The URL in the web catalog provides direct access to the e-journal or, if required, to a publisher's page from which the e-journal can be accessed.
• There can be several URLs in a catalog record when multiple hosts provide different volumes of the same title. When there are multiple URLs, it is necessary to explain the distinction. Language such as "for recent issues" and "for earlier volumes" are used in conjunction with URLs.
• If a password and/or logon is required for accessing an e-journal the information will be included in the same field as the URL (the MARC 856 field--password in subfield k; logon in subfield l).
• The catalog record also contains a Mode of access (MARC 538 field) note.
• Linked to bibliographic records is a copy statement for the e-journal with a location name of "Access through Internet."
• "Electronic journal" is used in the call number field. A class code of local is used which makes "Electronic journal" searchable.
• Linked to the copy statement is a holdings record. The holdings record does not indicate which issues or volumes are available electronically. Instead, the holdings record contains the following instruction: "Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time."
• The holdings record for an e-journal is created at the time the catalog record or copy statement is added.

UB Libraries Web Site

• Information records for e-journals are no longer created.
• Technical services staff no longer create and maintain alphabetical and subject lists of e-journals.
• Unit libraries or indiviudal subject specialists may choose to maintain alphabetical and/or subject lists of e-journals. For the first eight months of 1999 a weekly listing of serial titles to which URLs had been added during the preceeding week was available to subject specialists from the CTS home page. The weekly listed were discontinued in the fall of 1999 because of lack of interest.
• Unit libraries or individual subject specialists may choose to include in any lists of e-journals which they maintain titles those titles for which only the table of contents or abstracts are available. They my also choose to include titles available on a trial basis.
• Any e-journal for which full or partial content is available electronically and which is accessible from a unit library page should also be accessible through the catalog.

Examples:USA today (Arlington, Va.) and Online newshour

Selection

• Subjects specialists and unit library reference staff use the Ejournal Request Form or other means to request the addition of priced or gratis versions of newspapers and news sources (television, radio stations, etc.) to the catalog.

• The catalog is the primary means of accessing electronic versions of newspapers and news sources.
• Any electronic version of a newspaper or news source linked from a unit library home page should also be accessible through the catalog.
• The catalog record contains the URL for the electronic version of a newspaper or news source. The URL in the web catalog provides direct access to the electronic version.
• The catalog record also contains a Mode of access (MARC 538 field) note.
• Linked to the catalog records is a copy statement for the electronic version with a location name of "Access through Internet."
• "Electronic newspaper" or "Electronic news source" is used in the call number field. A class code of local is used which makes "Electronic newspaper" or "Electronic news source" searchable.
• Linked to the copy statement for an electronic newspaper is a holdings record. The holdings record does not indicate which issues or volumes are available electronically. Instead, the holdings record contains the following instruction: "Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time." There are no holdings records for electronic news sources.
• The holdings record for an electronic newspaper is created at the time the catalog record or copy statement is added.

• Information records for newspapers and news sources are no longer created.
• A listing of newspapers and news sources will be maintained in the Online Resources region of BISON.
• Technical Services staff will notify the the Libraries' Web Coordinator or her designee of additional newspapers or news sources added to the catalog and of the removal of any these resources from the catalog.

Example:Selecting research collections for digitization

Selection

• Requests for electronic versions of books, priced or gratis, are submitted using the Monograph Request Form or by other means.
• A record for the title is added to the catalog or a copy statement for the electronic version is added to a record for the print version. The URL for the electronic version is added to the catalog record.
• The process of cataloging a print version of a book can reveal the availability of an electronic version of the entire work. If the electronic version is available at no cost, a copy statement for the electronic version is added to the record and, if it is not already included, the URL is added to the catalog record.

• The catalog is the primary means of accessing electronic versions of books.
• Any electronic version of a book linked from unit library pages should also be accessible through the catalog.
• The catalog record includes the URL for the electronic version. The URL in the web catalog provides direct access to the electronic version.
• The catalog record also contains a Mode of access (MARC 538 field) note.
• Linked to the catalog record is a copy statement for the electronic version with a location name of "Access through Internet" and a call number substitute of "no call number."

• The Electronic Books and Pamphlets region is eliminated.

Example:Juvenile arrests 1995

Selection Process

• As the titles are identified, electronic versions of government documents which are received in print format because of a depository profile or depository titles which are available only in electronic format are added to the catalog by technical services staff or at the request of government documents public services staff.
• Requests are sent to the appropriate technical services area to provide catalog access for electronic versions of titles which are not within the scope of a depository profile.

• The catalog is the primary means of accessing electronic versions of government documents.
• Any electronic version of a government document linked from a unit library page should also be accessible through the catalog.
• The catalog record includes the URL for the electronic version of a government document. The URL in the web catalog provides direct access to the electronic version of the government document or to a departmental site from which the specific title can be accessed.
• The catalog record also contains a Mode of access (MARC 538 field) note.
• Linked to the catalog record is a copy statement for the electronic version of the government document with a location name of "Access through Internet" and the appropriate government documents classification scheme call number, if the unit uses the scheme for the print equivalent, or the call number substitute of "No call number." if the unit does not use document classification numbers.

• The Electronic Books and Pamphlets, government documents sub-region, is eliminated.

Example: Action guide for healthy eating

Selection

• Current receipts which are in general interest subject areas and are issued as single sheets or pamphlets are converted to digital format for addition to the Electronic Popular Government Documents region.

• Any electronic version of a government document which is accessible through the Electronic Popular Government Documents region is also accessible through the catalog.
• The catalog record includes the URL for the electronic version of a popular government document. The URL in the web catalog provides direct access to the electronic version of the popular government document.
• The catalog record also contains a Mode of access (MARC 538 field) note.
• Linked to the catalog record is a copy statement for the electronic version of the popular government document with a location name of "Access through Internet" and the appropriate government documents classification scheme call number.

• Electronic versions of popular government documents are arranged according to major subject categories. Spanish language versions are accessible as part of the subject categories and through a separate category for Spanish language documents only (the Electronic Popular Government Documents region was created, in part, with a 1997 grant from the New York State Department of Education's Electronic Doorway Library Program received by the Western New York Library Resources Council on behalf of the University at Buffalo Libraries).
• Access to this site will be through an area of the Libraries' home page for digital imaging projects and through the Online Resources region of BISON.

Example:American landscape and architectural design, 1850-1920

Selection

• Subjects specialists and unit library reference staff use the Internet Resources Request Form or some other means to request the inclusion of a web site in the catalog.

• The catalog provides one of the ways in which web sites can be accessed.
• Staff in library units are encouraged to ask that records for web sites be added to the catalog.
• The catalog record includes the URL for the web site. The URL in the web catalog provides direct access to the web site.
• The catalog record also contains an added title entry of "web resource" so that staff have a easy way of retrieving all catalog records for web sites (there may be reasons for changing local practice with the cataloging of web sites; this single entry access point will facilitate the implementation of revised policies) and, possibly, as a means of facilitating keyword searching.
• The catalog record also contains a Mode of access (MARC 538 field) note.
• Linked to the catalog record is a copy statement with a location name of "Access through Internet" and a call number substitute of "no call number."

• There is no centralized web region which lists web sites which are accessible through the catalog, except a selective listing of Reference Sources on the Net, a collection of sites with reference value, maintained by the Libraries' Web Coordinator or her designee. All items listed are included in the catalog.

Example:Information technology and libraries

Selection

• The selection of a particular database results in the automatic selection of the titles which are included in that product.
• Lists of titles included in individual products may be available through the web sites maintained by the products. For example, InfoTrac titles are listed at http://www.galegroup.com/tlist/sb5101.html. It is also possible to access title listings for many products via a region of FirstSearch.

• There is a catalog record for the print version of any title for which full text of selected articles is available through a database acquired by the Libraries.
• The catalog record does not contain a url linking the record to the database.
• Linked to the catalog record is a copy statement for the database. This copy statement can be in addition to any copy statements for print copies, or it can be the only copy statement. Since it is possible that full text of selected articles are available in more than one product, there may be more than one copy statement of this type.
• The copy statement has a location name of "BISON (Online Resources)."
• "in [name of the database]" is used in the call number field. A class code of local is used which makes, for example, "in ABI/Inform" searchable.
• Linked to the copy statement is a holdings record. Instead of indicating the earliest date of full text articles or the extent of coverage if it is finite, the holdings record states "Library has access to the full text of selected articles."

Examples of wording for holding statements

LOCATION: Access through Internet
CALL NUMBER: No call number
STATUS:
LIBRARY HAS: Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time.

LOCATION: CALL NUMBER:
Access through Internet US I 19.127: 246-96

Example of wording for holding statements

LOCATION: BISON (Online Resources)
CALL NUMBER: in ABI/Inform
STATUS:
LIBRARY HAS: access to the full text of selected articles.

There are records in the UB Libraries Catalog for all products which are accessible through the Online Resources region of BISON. A record is added at the time a product is selected and indicates a status of "on order" or "in-process" until the product is accessible through the Online Resources region. Once the product is accessible through the Online Resources region, a URL is added to the catalog record and a copy statement is activated.

The needs of two different groups of users--the user of the web-based catalog who can access the product by clicking on a URL and the user of the original command version of the catalog who must know the product name or database in order to access the product via the Online Resources region--must be considered when providing access to products included in the Online Resources region of BISON.

Type of product: Citation index for which there is a print equivalent with the same title

Example: Biography index

• UB Libraries Catalog: When the electronic and print versions have the same title, a single record is used for both versions.
• The record contains a MARC 538 field with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enables the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u"
• Holdings record: "Check the electronic version to determine the specific coverage."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

Citation index having print equivalent with a different title

Example: FactSearch

• UB Libraries Catalog: When the electronic and print versions have different titles, a single catalog records cannot be used. Each version requires it own record.
• There is a MARC 530 fields in each record indicating the availability and title of the electronic or paper version.
• Both records use MARC 776 fields to provide access to the titles of the alternate versions.
• The record for the electronic version contains a MARC 538 field with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enables the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u"
• Holdings record: "Check the electronic version to determine the specific coverage."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

Example: Expanded academic index

• UB Libraries Catalog: Record describes the electronic product.
• The record contains a MARC 538 field with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enables the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u"
• Holdings Record: "Check the electronic version to determine the specific coverage."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

Citation index with CD-ROM equivalent

Example: ABI/Inform

• UB Libraries Catalog: Because of file characteristics and system requirements for the CD-ROM version, the online and CD-ROM versions cannot be on the same record. Each version requires it own record.
• There are MARC 530 fields in each record indicating the availability of online or CD-ROM version and any variation in titles between the two versions.
• If there are variations in titles between the two versions, both records use MARC 776 fields to provide access to the titles of the alternate versions.
• The record for the electronic version contains a MARC 538 field with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enables the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u"
• Holdings Record: "Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

Encyclopedia, directory, or other type of reference work for which there is a print equivalent with the same title

Example: Biography and genealogy master index

• UB Libraries Catalog: Since the title of the electronic version is the same as that for the print, a single record provides access to both.
• The record contains a MARC 538 field with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enables the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u"
• Holdings Record: If title is serial in nature, there is a holdings record containing the instruction "Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

Encyclopedia, directory, or other type of reference work with print equivalent but with a title different from that of the print equivalent

Example: Britannica online

• UB Libraries Catalog: When the electronic and print versions have different titles, a single catalog records cannot be used. Each version requires it own record.
• There are MARC 530 fields in each record indicating the availability and title of the electronic or paper version.
• Both records use MARC 776 fields to provide access to the titles of the alternate versions.
• The record for the electronic version contains a MARC 538 field with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enables the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u"
• Holdings Record: If title is serial in nature, there is a holdings record containing the instruction "Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

Encyclopedia, directory, or other type of reference work which exists only as an electronic product and provides access to one or more reference works also or formerly available in print format

Example: Associations unlimited

• UB Libraries Catalog: When the electronic and print versions have different titles, a single catalog records cannot be used. Each version requires it own record.
• The records contain MARC 538 fields with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enables the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u." If the title is accessible through the Online Resources region as part of a larger, more inclusive, product, not by the title of the reference work, the title of the more inclusive product is used in the call number field. A class code of "T" is used.
• Holdings Record: If title is serial in nature, there is a holdings record containing the instruction "Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

Resource is available only as an electronic resource. There is no print equivalent

Example: ArchivesUSA

• UB Libraries Catalog: The record describes the electronic resource.
• The record contains a MARC 538 field with text: "Mode of access : Internet."
• The URL, which enable the patron to go directly to the product, or, if necessary, to a consolidated site from which the product can be accessed, is in a MARC 856 field.
• If the product is purchased from the ULELECT fund, there is a MARC 730 field containing "ULELECT."
• Location code: BISON (Online Resources).
• Call number substitute: No call number. Class code of "u"
• Holdings Records: If title is serial in nature, there is a holdings containing the instruction "Check the electronic version to determine the specific issues which are available at this time."
• The holdings record is created at the time the catalog or copy statement is added.

John Edens, Jan. 17, 1999