Electronic Collaboration: Key to Enhancing Traditional Collections

Abstract

Academic librarians continue to look for innovative ways to enhance libraries' collections and increase access to electronic resources despite higher costs and tight budgets. Libraries are facilitating electronic access to a wide array of products. How do librarians provide access to traditional and non-traditional resources? Collaborative connections are one way of maximizing access to information. The model described in this paper is an example of how libraries can collaborate with various partners to bring electronic resources to a campus, thus enhancing traditional research collections. There are four steps in this process: (1) choosing partnerships; (2) negotiations; (3) marketing; and (4) training.