Creating a Local Electronic Collection or Database

Owned by Lauren Syer
Last updated: Oct 20, 2022
3 min read

Scope: Instructions for acquisitions staff and selectors for creating a local electronic collection – useful when an appropriate collection is not (yet) available in the Community Zone.

These instructions can apply for purchased or open access collections.

See also: Creating a Local Electronic Portfolio

Relevant Ex Libris Documentation

Adding a Local Electronic Collection: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/040Resource_Management/050Inventory/020Managing_Electronic_Resources#Adding_a_Local_Electronic_Collection

For a demonstration on creating an electronic collection, see the Add an Electronic Collection video (3:47 mins).

Before Creating a Local Collection or Database

  1. Search the Institution Zone to confirm that the E-Collection is not present.
  2. Search the Community Zone to confirm that the E-Collection is not available. 
  3. Have information about your E-Collection ready, including (when applicable):
    • ERIN record (if applicable)
    • Title 
    • Description (optional)
    • Link
    • PO Line number
    • License name
    • Interface name

Add Local Electronic Collection

  1. From the Resources menu, select Add Local Electronic Collection
  2. In the Electronic Collection Editor, enter:
    1. Public name: Use the name of your collection from ERIN, or another unique and descriptive name
    2. Public name (override) is used in certain scenarios.
      1. See Electronic collections: naming and full text prioritization -- DRAFT for details on choosing a name, and submitting for prioritization.
    3. Description and Internal description are optional, but may be useful.
    4. Collection type:
      1. Selective Package – Only the portfolios that you select from a package are activated.
      2. Aggregator Package – The entire package of portfolios is added to your collection and activated automatically.
      3. Database – Your collection begins with an online database record. (rarely used)
    5. Service type:
      1. For packages, select Full Text
      2. For databases, select None
    6. Library (best practice in development, June 2021):
      1. For packages, if portfolios will be ordered by various units (e.g. Kanopy, Ebook Central), leave Library blank
        1. If ALL portfolios will be ordered by one unit, optionally, select the unit creating the collection or placing the order
      2. For databases, optionally, select the unit creating the collection or placing the order
      3. For collections sponsored by multiple libraries, leave Library blank
      4. For collections accessible only to certain populations (e.g. HLS affiliates), select that library (e.g. Harvard Law School Library)
  3. Click Save and continue

Add Acquisitions, Licensing, Linking, and Descriptive Information

For Electronic Collections

  1. The Electronic Service Editor will open
  2. Click the Activation tab
    1. Service activation status: Select Available if appropriate
  3. Click the Linking tab. You may need to consult with E-Resources staff to populate this correctly.
    1. See Linking Tab Options under Adding a Local Electronic Collection (Ex Libris documentation) to fill out the linking information
  4. Add Notes if necessary
  5. Click Save. You will then be on the Electronic Collection Editor Additional tab.
  6. Click the General tab.
    1. Interface name: Search and select interface if appropriate
    2. PO Line: Search and select POL if appropriate
    3. License: Search and select license if appropriate
  7. Click the Additional tab.
    1. Level URL: Enter the link from ERIN (URN or URL)
    2. Is free?: Click Not Free or Free if appropriate
    3. Proxy enabled: Click No or Yes if appropriate (based on the link and access model)
    4. Additional descriptive information: see /wiki/spaces/ITSworkflows/pages/54822654 for instructions
  8. Add Notes if necessary
  9. Click Save.

For Databases

  1. Click the General tab.
    1. Interface name: Search and select interface if appropriate
    2. PO Line: Search and select POL if appropriate
    3. License: Search and select license if appropriate
  2. Click the Additional tab.
    1. Level URL: Enter the link from ERIN (URN or URL)
    2. Is free?: Click Not Free or Free if appropriate
    3. Proxy enabled: Click No or Yes if appropriate (based on the link and access model)
    4. Additional descriptive information: see /wiki/spaces/ITSworkflows/pages/54822654 for instructions
  3. Add Notes if necessary.
  4. Click Save.

HOLLIS display

For electronic collections/databases to display in HOLLIS, they must have both a collection level link and an unsuppressed bibliographic record. If they are to display in the Databases tab, they will need local fields 915-918 added to the bibliographic record. See Harvard defined MARC fields.

When creating or editing collections, determine the following in consultation with bibliographer and/or public services staff:

  1. For electronic collections: 
    1. Do you want this top level collection to display in Hollis?
    2. Do you want this to be searchable from the Databases tab?
  2. For databases:
    1. Do you want this to be searchable from the Databases tab?

Answers to these questions will inform coordinators when assigning cataloging work. See /wiki/spaces/ITSworkflows/pages/54822799 for details.

Creating a local electronic collection or database DOES NOT automatically create a brief bibliographic record. Activating a collection or database from the Community Zone DOES create a brief bibliographic record. 

Add Portfolios

This work may be done by E-Resources or Metadata Management staff. Consult the ERIN record to find what staff member is assigned to