This is a series of questions to ask when selecting e-resources for the school library. They are in no particular order and bring together considerations from a variety of sources.

Questions:

1. Is this resource relevant to the needs of the school?
   1. Teachers?
   2. Students?
      1. Age appropriate?
2. Is an e-resource the best format based on school needs?
   1. Tangible vs digital resource
3. What are the licensing terms of the e-resource?
   1. School-owned?
   2. Subscription-based?
   3. Can the resource be accessible on multiple devices?
4. How will the school know about and access the e-resource?
5. How much is the resource?
   1. Value for money?
   2. Use across year groups and curriculum?
6. Does the school already have the technology available to support the e-resource?
   1. What is required?
   2. Is it worth it?
7. Does the resource cater for diverse needs of students?
   1. Enlarge print function?
   2. Read aloud function?
8. Does the e-resource come with support from the provider?
   1. What happens if an issue is encountered?

These questions are all important when selecting e-resources and need to be carefully considered before purchase. As with any resources, the e-resource must add to the value of the school library. It is no good purchasing e-resources if they can’t be accessed properly or do not support the needs of the school.

References

Charles Sturt University. (2021). Collection development. https://library.csu.edu.au/our-libraries/contact-library-team/library-management/collection-development

Libraries Tasmania. (2021). Electronic resources management. https://www.libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library/Pages/collections-eresources.aspx

Reference and User Association. (2008). Guidelines for the introduction of electronic information resources to users. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesintroduction