Where to find resources

Every cataloguer will have a different approach to resource discovery but the following are some pointers and notes on where a beginner could start:

• Mailing lists and newsgroups: various lists and newsgroups are scanned for interesting resources
• Resource lists: ADAM already points to some key resource lists which should be regularly monitored for new additions
• Printed guides and catalogues: for example Clearinghouse for Subject Oriented Guides at the University of Michigan
• Networked search tools: Yahoo, Lycos, Alta Vista, etc (plus their UK versions) UK Academic Directory at Hensa, University of Kent UK Plus, UK Index
• Others...

Evaluating resource significance

Some indication of how useful a site is seen to be is provided by citation aids. The following are two such aids:

• Webcrawler <http://www.webcrawler.com/>
• HotBot <http://hotbot.lycos.com/>

Both allow you to search links to an URL and show how frequently a particular resource is cited, so providing some measure of how 'important' the resource is. ADAM will make use of these and any other useful citation aids.

In the case of individual artists’ work, it is important to establish their significance to the UK HE visual arts community objectively, since ADAM regularly receives nominations from individual artists promoting their own work. In such cases, citations in respected subject indexes (such as H R Wilson’s Art Abstracts (formerly Art Index), ABC-Clio Electronic Library’s ARTbibliographies Modern or Design Documentation’s Design & Applied Art Index) should be sought before approving the resource for inclusion in the ADAM catalogue.

Feedback

An important aspect of the ADAM project is evaluation and feedback from users about the service.

Results from evaluation sessions with staff and users will be vital to the ongoing development of the ADAM Collections Policy. All ideas from users about areas of focus and resources for inclusion will be considered carefully.

The Nominations page on the ADAM web site allows users to suggest relevant resources for inclusion. All nominations will be evaluated by trained personnel, and will be catalogued if they are deemed suitable for inclusion.

The Friends of ADAM volunteer network will also play a key role in the discovery, evaluation and cataloguing of suitable resources, and in the development of a collection that best meets the needs of the UK Higher Education community.

Logs of searches conducted on the service will be examined periodically, to give an indication of whether or not the service is meeting the needs of the users.

Weeding, link checking and review

The service aims to be as up to date and current as possible.

Links to catalogued resources are automatically checked every week, and catalogue entries that describe sites which are no longer accessible are either updated or removed from the database.

Sites are routinely reviewed every six months. They are reassessed for their relevance, and descriptions and keywords are altered as appropriate.