Traditionally, libraries build their permanent collections based on estimates of patrons' future needs.  This longstanding "just-in-case" acquisition model has been changed over the past few years, thanks to the digital information age. 

 

A new acquisition model – demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) or patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) – has been built to more efficiently and effectively utilize library resources to match patron needs.  Bibliographic information of 15,000 electronic books that the library has not purchased yet are included in our library catalog.  These electronic books will be acquired by the library only when a patron engages in certain kinds of user behavior, like reading, printing, or downloading a certain number of e-book pages.

 

The whole process takes place behind the scenes without intrusion into patrons' usage of library resources.  This "just-in-need" or "just-in-time" acquisition model allows us to buy what our users really need and allows for more efficient and effective usage of library resources.

 

Our library is now in the beta stage of such a new acquisition model.  The more e-books you access and read through our library catalog, the more likely we'll buy the book materials that meet your need!