Communities of Knowledge: Creating and Connecting Resource Metadata

A growing number of academic libraries and consortia are developing their own e-resource knowledge bases. The structure, format, and ultimate goals of their projects vary. If they are successful, these community-driven knowledge bases have the potential to make a positive impact on e-resource management and discovery. A situation analysis of the current state of affairs considers the problems these new communities of knowledge are attempting to solve, compares the scope and approaches of selected projects, suggests opportunities for connectivity across communities, and outlines challenges to their success. This article is the outgrowth of a 2013 North Carolina Serials Conference discussion.