Collection Development

The University Libraries take great care to ensure that our collection provides the best possible value to students, faculty, and staff. As databases and other resources change or become available, vendors may reach out to faculty and staff to inform them about these products. Many vendors will provide the Libraries with temporary “trial” access to these products. The Libraries work with vendors to coordinate trials so that students, faculty, and staff may evaluate resources of interest, and provide feedback to inform subscription and purchasing decisions. For more information about resource trials, contact Jessica Rigg at jminihan@georgiasouthern.edu.

Suggesting a Trial

If you learn about a database or other resource to which you feel the Libraries should subscribe, please contact your Library Liaison or submit a suggestion using the libraries’ Materials Suggestion Form. If the vendor supports trials for their products, the Libraries may arrange a personal trial for you and your colleagues, or a campus-wide trial if there is broad interest in the resource. The Libraries do not support repeated trials of resources for instructional use.

Procedures for Campus-Wide Trials

Campus-wide trials should be coordinated with the Collection Services Department (CSD) with the approval of the faculty or the Dean of the University Libraries. Upon approval, CSD personnel will arrange with the vendor and appropriate stakeholders to host, promote, and collect feedback data for the trial. The Libraries’ assessment officer may also participate in collection and analysis of feedback data. All relevant findings will be provided to the faculty and the Dean of the University Libraries, with whom all purchasing and subscription decisions reside. For more information, see  the Libraries' trial workflow.

Acquisition of Trial Resources

Given funding constraints, most trials will not result in addition of the resource to the collection. In most cases, to acquire new resources, the Libraries must discontinue access to other resources of equivalent cost. If you feel the Libraries should acquire a new resource, you may be asked to identify currently-subscribed resources that the Libraries may discontinue to defray the cost of the new resource. If the Libraries are unable to acquire a trial resource, you may suggest that it be added to the Libraries’ Wish List by contacting your library liaison.

• Contact your library liaison if you are approached by a vendor with a trial opportunity that interests you. 
• All University-wide trials must be coordinated through the CSD according to the Libraries' trial workflow.