Outline

Introduction
Types and Levels of Resources
Selection criteria
Review and Retention
Responsibility for selection
Future development

1. Introduction

In keeping with the purpose and goal of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) as defined in the OPLIN Vision Statement, OPLIN acquires access to electronic resources, and develops electronic resources, for the use of Ohio public library customers. From the universe of electronic resources accepted as legal by the Ohio Revised Code, OPLIN selects quality resources to provide to the public libraries and residents of Ohio. This Electronic Resources Selection Policy Statement further defines OPLIN's electronic content in support of Ohio public library service. In selecting electronic resources for the network, OPLIN intends to complement and augment, rather than replace, basic public library reference services. OPLIN will assist Ohio public libraries in meeting the needs of their diverse clientele, including children and young adults, as well as all residents of Ohio. OPLIN will ensure that all Ohioans have equitable access to information, whether for school, business, or family. Equity of access must include:

• Access to the diverse resources of Ohio's public libraries;
• Access to federal, state, and regional information resources, and
• Access to other electronic information resources.

2. Types and Levels of Resources

OPLIN aspires to select the best resources possible that both support the vision statement and comply with the selection criteria established in Section 3. OPLIN will make use of several avenues for obtaining access to resources:

• OPLIN-licensed (both annual and perpetual) commercial, fee-based services and databases
• OPLIN-selected external, freely linkable World Wide Web resources and other freely available services and databases
• OPLIN-developed resources created by OPLIN or OPLIN member libraries, or through contractors.

OPLIN will pursue all these avenues, as appropriate, in selecting resources. OPLIN will not select CD-ROMs or other databases which must be loaded locally on OPLIN or member library servers, although exceptions may be made in the case of databases acquired under perpetual license agreements.

OPLIN will use a framework of three levels of priority in selecting resources.

• Level 1 resources are the top priority and are selected to assure that all Ohio public libraries have a base-level of online-accessible electronic content. OPLIN will strive to offer Level I resources to Ohio Public libraries at all times. Level I resources include the following:
  1. A full text general periodicals database.
  2. A full text general reference encyclopedia.
  3. Links to freely-accessible State of Ohio information published by the state or by private organizations.
  4. Links to Ohio public library catalogs (those that are Web-accessible).
  5. Other links to general resources that support the diverse informational and
  6. educational needs of OPLIN's primary using populations (students, business (with emphasis on small businesses) and families).
  7. OPLIN-generated documents and publications.
• Level 2 resources build on the foundation provided by the Level I resources and serve to create a more robust-but still basic-selection of resources to all of Ohio's public libraries. Level 2 resources can have either general or user group- specific application. OPLIN will provide level 2 resources as long as Level I needs are met, and as funding permits and demand warrants. Level 2 resources can include the following:
  1. General application:
     • Newspapers (international, national, regional, local)
     • Electronic books
     • Links to Federal government information
  2. User-group specific application:
     1. School users
        • Full-text multimedia encyclopedia
        • Full-text, multiple source, age & curriculum-appropriate database to support schools (K-12)
        • Links to historical, cultural, and educational web sites
     2. Business users
        • Full-text business database
        • Links to corporation and other business-related web sites
     3. Family users
        • Full-text health database
        • Links to recreation and travel sites
        • Links to employment, real estate, genealogy and other similar sites
  3. Level 3 resources are acquired based on demand, budget, opportunity, and other factors. Level 3 resources and possible acquisition circumstances are listed below:
     1. Situations in which OPLIN can use its purchasing leverage to obtain resources that are otherwise cost prohibitive for most Ohio Public libraries.
     2. Resources that appeal to a specialized audience, use experimental technologies, or are available in a beta test phase.
     3. Resources that have application across library types in Ohio (e.g. public libraries, schools, and colleges and universities) and where the costs of which are shared by OPLIN, other Ohio library consortia (e.g. OhioLINK and INFOhio), and possibly the State Library.
     4. Resources that are of interest to a subgroup of libraries and are purchased under a group contract in order to secure volume-based pricing discounts.

Every resource considered by OPLIN will be evaluated using the criteria enumerated in Section 3 of this policy statement, regardless of its level of priority. Any resource deemed unacceptable after such consideration will not be offered by OPLIN.

3. Selection criteria

OPLIN will consider the following criteria in evaluating any resource for selection. In combination, these criteria provide a broad assessment of the quality of electronic resources. Few resources meet all criteria; OPLIN will balance strengths against shortcomings in evaluating each resource. Any of these criteria may provide an overwhelming reason to either select or reject a specific resource. 3.1 OPLIN-licensed commercial, fee-based services and databases

3.1.1 Access

• Services shall be Web-accessible (no proprietary clients) and compatible with 3.0 and higher versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator browsers.
• Services shall not require the use of plug-ins to deliver full functionality.
• Services shall include an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant interface option.
• Services shall support IP address-based authentication and remote patron authentication using library card numbers.
• Use from within and outside the library must be permitted under the license, with remote users accessing the service using their own Internet dialup accounts.
• Services should provide both Web interface access and support the Z39.50 client/server protocol, version 3, to allow for user access to the service using a Z39.50-compliant user interface client.

  3.1.2 Content

• It is assumed that purchased, licensed resources will meet the selection criteria described in the OPLIN-selected resources section below.
• OPLIN strongly prefers full text databases verses index-only or abstract and index-only databases. Full text databases should include detailed citations and indexing to facilitate high search precision and recall.
• Resources obtained under a perpetual license agreement will generally be of a static verses dynamic nature.
• In keeping with OPLIN's Vision statement, databases licensed are intended to be used by library patrons, or customers, and should therefore be end-user oriented (verses resources created primarily for use library staff).
• As a general rule, OPLIN will not pay for a resource for which there is a substantially equivalent alternative freely available via the Worldwide Web. Examples include telephone directories, encyclopedias, and some newspaper and periodicals content. If OPLIN does pay for such a resource, there must be measurable and substantial unique value delivered via the for-fee licensed product.

  3.1.3 Pricing and License Terms

• The terms of the OPLIN license shall permit access both inside and outside the library.
• Access to services under OPLIN licenses shall not be limited by simultaneous users (or ports), unique users, searches, or any other access parameter. All licenses should provide unlimited access.
• The contract used to govern the use of the service shall be compliant with the ARL Licensing Principles (see http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/statement.html). In addition, the terms must also adhere to all State of Ohio procurement and contractual agreements.
• OPLIN will seek pricing that supports statewide access to licensed resources, that is, pricing that permits access by users from all types of libraries and all Ohio library networks (including OhioLINK, INFOhio, and OPLIN). Actual purchase of statewide access licenses will depend on funding, value of the resource to non-OPLIN user populations compared to the price charged, and other factors.

  3.1.4 Support

• Service providers shall offer help desk support to OPLIN's help desk.
• Service providers shall deliver usage statistics to OPLIN that comply with the ICOLC (International Coalition of Library Consortia) Guidelines for Statistical Measures of Usage of Web-Based Indexed, Abstracted, and Full Text Resources (see http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/webstats.html). Providing counts of queries executed and articles delivered, in electronic form and on a monthly basis, is required.

3.2 OPLIN-selected external, freely linkable World Wide Web resources and other freely available services and databases shall be subjected to the following selection criteria.

Purpose

What is the purpose of the resource? Is this clearly stated? Does the resource fulfill the stated purpose?

Authority

Is the resource provided by a reputable publisher, organization, or expert? Are the author's or provider's qualifications and credentials stated? Are sources of information cited? Is the information verifiable?

Advertising and E-commerce

Advertising and e-commerce have become major sources of funding for quality, freely accessible Web resources. It is the handling, implementation, and focus of these elements that will determine the appropriateness of a site, not the mere existence or absence of these elements. The following general rules will apply in evaluating a site that includes advertising and e-commerce elements.

• In general, sites which are primarily online stores or which otherwise have advertising and e-commerce as their primary focus are not included. (Becky – exceptions?)
• Sites which include advertisements the content of which violates OPLIN's content selection criteria (see below) will be excluded.
• Sites which include advertisements that are obtrusive and due to size or animation cause the content of interest to be obscured will generally be excluded.
• .com sites will generally be subjected to more scrutiny than will .org, .edu, and .gov sites.
• Guiding principles for privacy, advertisement size, acceptable and unacceptable product/service categories and other related issues can be found at http://www.lexis-nexis.com/cispubs/Corporate/advertising/advert.htm (guidelines for advertising on the Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe service).

Audience

Who are the intended users of this resource? Does the resource satisfy the needs of this audience? Is the language and reading level appropriate to this audience?

In OH! Kids, OPLIN organizes high-quality educational, informational, and recreational resources for children ages 3 through 12 on the basis of age- appropriate considerations. Works that satisfy OPLIN's selection criteria for adults, but include material not appropriate for minors, are excluded from OH! Kids. No resources deemed potentially harmful to minors will be selected for OH! Kids.

In OH! Teens, OPLIN organizes high-quality educational, informational, and recreational resources for users 13 years of age and older by topic. Works that satisfy other OPLIN selection criteria but fall under the scope of Ohio's "Disseminating Matter Harmful to Juveniles" Statute are excluded from OH! Teens.

For more information about these exclusions, see Content (following).

Content

Is the information factual? Does the resource contain original information, or is it an index to other resources? Resources can be useful either for original information or as access tools, or both.

Does the resource provide information completely, or has it been abstracted from another resource or resources?

Does the author or provider of the resource appear to have a commitment to its ongoing maintenance and stability?

Materials defined as illegal by the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) are not selected. Resources in which frank language or graphics are used toward a recognizable, legitimate purpose, such as the dissemination of medical information or the reproduction of artistic works, and which are not prurient in nature, may be selected for OPLIN (with the exception of OH! Kids) if other selection criteria are met. Works that meet OPLIN's selection criteria are not necessarily excluded because of coarse language, frankness, controversial expression, or graphical representation. Isolated text or images in themselves are not considered adequate reason for rejection, except in OH! Kids, where any such elements are strictly excluded.

Selecting links is an implied recommendation. The ORC accepts the majority of Web-based materials as legal; we exclude any of the small percentage of Web- based materials that do not meet this standard.

OPLIN goes one more step in selecting links for the OH! Teens and OH! Kids areas of the OPLIN Web site by excluding any materials that specifically fall under the scope of Ohio's "Disseminating Matter Harmful to Juveniles" Statute (Ohio Revised code Section 2907.31, as supported by the definitions in Section 2907.01).

Further, all links in the OH! Kids area conform to the Recreational Software Advisory Council on the Internet (RSACi) "Level Zero" rating for all four of its selection criteria (violence, nudity, sex, language). OPLIN excludes any materials from OH! Kids that do not conform to this standard, even those that meet all other OPLIN selection criteria.

Selectors of sites for OH! Kids will strive to assure that sites 1, 2, and 3 links removed from selected sites comply with this selection policy.

Accuracy

Is the information in the resource accurate? Are there political or ideological biases? Is there a balanced viewpoint?

Currency

What time period is covered by the resource? Is the resource static or dynamic? If static, is this appropriate for its content? How frequently is the resource updated? Are the updates indicated?

Scope

What items are included in the resource? What subject areas and types of material are covered? Is the scope stated or only implied? Does the actual scope of the resource match expectations?

Aspects of scope may include:

• Breadth: Are all aspects of the subject covered?
• Depth: To what level of detail in the subject does the resource go?
• Time: Is the information in the resource limited to certain time periods?

Uniqueness

Is the information in this resource available in other formats? What advantages do this particular resource and format have? If the resource is derived from another format, does it have all the features of the original? Have extra features been added? Does it complement another resource, for instance by providing updates to a print source?

Stability

Has the resource been consistently available since its inception? If it has moved from one site to another, is there a link from the old to the new site? Can the resource be expected to remain available for the foreseeable future?

 

Format and appearance

Is the format of the resource intuitive and clearly organized? Is there a logical arrangement? Are the most important content features easy to find? Is the resource interesting to look at? Do its visual elements enhance the resource?

Workability

Is the resource convenient and effective to use?

Aspects of workability include:

• User friendliness: Is the resource easy to use? Does it respond to a variety of browsers and connections?
• Searchability: How effectively can information be retrieved from the resource? Is the resource organized in a logical manner to facilitate searching? Is the organizational scheme appropriate? Is a useful search engine provided? What operators and ranking features are available? Is the search engine interface intuitive? Does the search engine index the whole resource?
• Connectivity: Can the resource be accessed with standard equipment and software, or are there special software, password, or network requirements? Can the resource be accessed reliably and quickly, or is it frequently overloaded or offline? Does it support terminal access as well as graphical browsers?

3.3 OPLIN-developed resources created by OPLIN or OPLIN member libraries, or through contractors.

OPLIN will leverage its expertise, resources, and relationships with OPLIN member libraries and other partners to create unique content to meet the information needs of Ohio's public libraries. The following statements provide general guidance for the selection of OPLIN-developed content projects:

• Ohio-specific content that is not available from other sources. For example, using What Tree is it? as a model, OPLIN may create similarly-focused resources to catalog indigenous mammals, reptiles, wild flowers, and other plants and animals.
• Other unmet needs, including general resources that support the diverse informational and educational needs of OPLIN's primary using populations, that can be created in an economically viable fashion if a cooperative approach is used (library contribution—“many hands make light work”).
• OPLIN will not develop a resource if it is either freely available on the Web or is commercially available at a reasonable price and under acceptable terms.
• OPLIN-developed resources will meet the selection criteria and other characteristics defined in the OPLIN-selected section above.

4. Review and Retention

4.1 OPLIN-Licensed and OPLIN-Developed Resources

Before contract renewal time, each OPLIN-licensed database will be re-evaluated according to the selection criteria. Comparable resources available at that time, including resources suggested by member libraries, should also be evaluated for possible substitution. Given the finite amount of money available for licensing databases, such resources will be prioritized based on selection criteria and usage experience.

4.2 OPLIN-Selected Resources

Each OPLIN-selected resource will be checked for viability no less frequently than quarterly, by link-checking software. Any dead link will be removed or replaced. Additionally, all OPLIN-selected resources will be re-evaluated quarterly according to the selection criteria. Any resource which has changed substantially and is deemed to no longer meet the selection criteria will be removed. Any resource may also be replaced by a comparable resource which better meets the selection criteria.

4.3 Handling OPLIN member library concerns regarding OPLIN resource selections

In the event that any OPLIN member library or library customer expresses concern or requests reconsideration of a resource, the following procedures apply:

• Concerns about workability or stability of a resource should be addressed to the Webmaster, who will expedite a resolution. This may involve removal, replacement, or retention of the resource.
• Objections relative to any of OPLIN's selection criteria besides workability or stability (content, accuracy, etc.) should be addressed to the Executive Director. The Executive Director or his/her designees will thoroughly re-evaluate the resource in a timely fashion and will determine whether to retain, replace, or remove it. The decision will be communicated to the individual, group, or library submitting the objection. If the objector is not satisfied with OPLIN's decision, the matter will be referred to the OPLIN Board for resolution.

All re-evaluation will take place in light of the levels of priority and the selection criteria as set forth in this policy statement.

5. Responsibility for selection

Web page links are selected by OPLIN's managing editor in conjunction with OPLIN contractors and committees. Databases and other resources are selected by OPLIN task forces, committees, and the Executive Director, with final decisions on OPLIN-licensed databases made by the OPLIN Board. These representatives of OPLIN will attempt to select evenly to meet the needs of the various populations of Ohio library customers. OPLIN will consider the input of library staff and customers in selecting specific resources or subject areas. Suggestions from OPLIN users are always welcomed.

6. Future development

OPLIN will charge a task force annually to review this policy statement and make recommendations for revision as appropriate.

Adopted by the OPLIN Board December 15, 2000.