2016 Charleston Library Conference

A lively lunch structured to stimulate the exchange of information and opinions on the value of reviews, their influence on the purchase (or de-accession) of e-resources, trends in selection of e-resources, and new collaborative reviewing efforts. A brief panel presentation will open the luncheon. Different perspectives will be offered:

Librarian perspective (academic and public):
How do librarians use reviews? How do they evaluate, select, and/or cancel e-products? Who is involved in selection process? What kinds of information in reviews are most helpful? Are reviews providing a meaningful means of discovery of databases for librarians, faculty, and other researchers? How is the profession trending in terms of evaluating new products? What is overall toolbox for the selection of e-resources?

Publisher perspective:
How important are reviews to publishers? Do they still carry the same weight in purchasing decisions? How do reviews affect marketing and the development of new products/subjects?

Community/collaborative perspective:
What efforts have been undertaken to create community/consortia-based or crowd-sourced analytic reviews of databases? What are the challenges in creating and sustaining collaborative ventures? How are review sources evolving to meet current needs?

The panel presentation will be followed by an open discussion and exchange of ideas/opinions among all panelists and luncheon attendees, with the goal of attaining a broader understanding of the relevance of electronic resource reviews to various stakeholders and the ways in which traditional review processes are evolving/should evolve to address current library needs and expectations. The panelists will actively seek feedback from luncheon attendees. This is meant to be an interactive discussion.