R2 Digital Library
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Authors
Behrend, Dawn
Issue Date
2019-05-08
Type
Article, Published
Language
en_US
Keywords
Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Other social sciences::Library and information science , Reference Databases , Electronic Books
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
R2 Digital Library from Rittenhouse Book Distributors, Inc. is a web based e-book platform of over 8,000 health science publications in the medical, nursing, and allied health fields covering a wide range of disciplines and specialties from renowned publishers in the health sciences. Librarians are able to purchase e-books on an individual, permanent basis enabling medical libraries of all sizes to build a collection that is specific to the needs of their users. The product's patron driven acquisition (PDA) model is a distinctive feature that allows a trial access to titles before being considered for purchase. R2 Digital Library offers a variety of authentication options allowing it to be remotely accessed with ease, but does not have a mobile app. The selection of titles is extensive, but would benefit from expansion in specialty areas such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and psychology and more inclusion of Open Educational Resource (OER) titles. The cost of the product is notably high in regards to the annual fee required to maintain access to one's collection and in consideration of the price of individual titles in comparison to third party book suppliers which come with just one user license. The intuitive interface, collection development features, unparalleled title list, and customizable nature of the product are key features that will help to balance out the cost of the product, but R2 Digital Library is likely to be best suited for smaller medical libraries that can accommodate a collection with limited user licenses.
Description
Citation
Behrend, Dawn. “R2 Digital Library.” Charleston Advisor, vol. 21, no. 1, July 2019, pp. 53–57.