Where do e-Resources come from?

Similar to a book, an e-Resource has a publisher, called a vendor.

The library subscribes to an e-Resource through the vendor, signing a subscription agreement outlining the cost of the subscription as well as the rights and responsibilities of the library, its customers, and the vendors themselves. Examples of vendors include EBSCO, Gale Cengage, ProQuest, and McGraw Hill.

Libraries subscribe to e-Resources in many different ways:

1. In some cases, BPL subscribes to and pays for e-Resources on our own. Selection of these e-Resources is based on multiple factors, including current collection gaps and customer needs. Examples of e-Resources we subscribe to independently include:

• Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry (Columbia Granger)
  
• Opposing Viewpoints (Gale)
• Mango Languages  (Mango)
  
• Access Science (McGraw Hill)
  

2. In some cases, BPL subscribes to e-Resources in partnerships with other libraries, called consortia, splitting costs for subscriptions and providing access to multiple resources at a discounted price. Examples of e-Resources we subscribe to through the CELPLO consortia (Chief Executives of Large Public Libraries in Ontario) include:

• Canadian Reference Centre (EBSCO)
• Novelist (EBSCO)
• Biography Resource Centre (Gale)
• eLibrary (ProQuest)
  

3. And last but not least, in some cases libraries are fortunate to receive governmentally funded e-Resources. BPL currently receives subscriptions to e-Resources from Knowledge Ontario, a government partnership with culture organizations and educators working to create equitable access to digital resources and learning tools so to create an inclusive and digitally literate Ontario. Examples of e-Resources we subscribe to through Knowledge Ontario include:

• Canadian Points of View Reference Centre (EBSCO)
• Academic OneFile (Gale)
• Kids InfoBits (Gale)
  
• Health and Wellness Resource Centre (Gale)

Why are e-Resources important?