Electronic Resources and Collection Analysis Department

The mission of the Electronic Resources and Collection Analysis Department (ERaCA) is to:

Within these broad goals of the mission, there are countless tasks to achieve them.

Acquisitions of electronic resources includes:

  1. ordering
  2. licensing of the content
  3. building lists of titles already subscribed to for a single publisher
  4. getting the publisher paid for uninterrupted ongoing access.

Managing access to content involves:

  1. setting up the initial link
  2. taking care of broken links
  3. tracking down rights to content in backfiles, as well as titles sold from one publisher to another, or just migrated from one delivery platform to another
  4. access through article linking and federated search software
  5. some cataloging work.

Collection analysis and planning:

  1. evaluates collections from many viewpoints
  2. drills into data that helps describe the Library’s collections and the use of them
  3. analysis will be done for more than electronic resources.

Collection budget management support:

  1. interfaces with collection analysis for all of the collections
  2. will aid subject specialists with evaluation of and decision-making on existing collections and those under consideration for acquisition.
  • Collection Analysis A new site has been established for selectors and liaisons in need of assessments and analyses related to collections.   It includes direct access to data, a guide to tools and methods, and contact information for assessment requests in support of collection building efforts.

  • New E-Resources at Northwestern An alerting service for all new online resources as they become available. New E-Resources at Northwestern is a blog to which you can subscribe by email address to receive automatic updates of new online titles. The resources are categorized by multiple subject and format categories for optimal representation on subject research guide web pages.

  • How Do I ...

  • Order Form (Word)

  • Cancellation Form (pdf)


  • Trials


  • Electronic Resources Usage Statistics (restricted)

  • Five Year Statistical Summary 2003/2004-2007/2008 (Excel)


  • ERaCA Department Staff Directory


  • Electronic Resources and Collection Analysis Department
    Northwestern University Library
    1970 Campus Drive
    Evanston, IL 60208
    jblosser@northwestern.edu
    phone (847) 491-2933, fax (847) 491-4345

    John P. Blosser, Head, Electronic Resources and Collection Analysis Department

    Last updated: 05/24/09