Embrace the Hive Mind: Engaging ILL and Research Services in Unsubscribed and OA Content Discovery

Abstract

Deciding whether to support discovery of unsubscribed and Open Access (OA) content raises questions for technical and public services librarians, from the philosophical to the pragmatic. Doing so requires careful curation and monitoring of resources, and benefits from library-wide input. This paper describes the process at Georgia Southern University for vetting unsubscribed and OA resources with ILL and liaison librarians for inclusion in the discovery layer and on the A-Z database list. For the discovery layer, this involves a three-step evaluation of collections for overall metadata quality, likelihood of ILL fulfillment, and value to the library collection. For the database list, this involves an evaluation of how liaison librarians integrate sources into reference and instruction. In each case, technical services, ILL, and liaison librarians weigh in on whether unsubscribed and OA content merits inclusion in the library collection. Furthermore, ILL and liaison librarians play a critical role monitoring these resources for continued inclusion and support.