About

About LERRN

The main purpose of LERRN is to bring all electronic resource reviews and evaluation content together in one place. LERRN is a citation database of reviews, overviews, comparisons, projects and other evaluatory content of electronic resources. LERRN first began selectively indexing e-resource reviews and evaluatory content in the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. In May 2024, LERRN started indexing e-resources evaluatory content in all subject disciplines.

Why a database of electronic resource reviews?

Decision-Making: Reviews, overviews and comparisons of electronic resources are a timesaving and potentially cost-saving means for librarians to gain knowledge of the scope, features and functionality of a specific resource or database platform to decide what resources best suit their clientele and budget.
Knowledge of Different Options: Reviews on electronic resources help librarians decide which resources may interest a library’s user population and can highlight differences between platforms or products that offer the same or similar content.

Education, Training & Outreach: Reviews and other content on electronic resources can be helpful in educating librarians in the features and functionality of a resource, which ‌makes it easier to educate or refer users to specific resources.
Library Marketing & Promotion: Reviews, evaluations or even articles that show utilization of a resource can also help librarians promote under-used resources to users for applications that they may not have thought of.
Better Quality Resources: Reviews and other evaluative content can have a symbiotic effect on the industry and can act as a catalyst for resource improvement. Vendors can also use the database to learn about what features and functions librarians are interested in. This assists in further development of resources.
Minimize Duplication: Reviewers (or editors) can use the database to search for what current reviews exist on a product they would like reviewed. If a current review exists, they can select another product or write the review with a different focus, giving a bigger overall benefit to the library community.
Timely Updating of Reviews: Reviewers (or editors) can search for reviews done in the past 3-5 years and decide the need for updates or new reviews. Facilitating coordination between editors and reviewers in this way, might beneficially impact the range and extent of resources reviewed and reviews updated.
Keeping Up-To-Date with New Resources: Reviews help librarians discover and keep up with the plethora of new resources out there.

Scope of database

LERRN indexes:

content for e-resources in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine since 2019 and added all subject disciplines as of May 2024.
citations from both open access and subscription publications in librarianship.
content from select publications from 2019 to the present (core review publications and/or reviews on select resources may be included from 2018+ or earlier). Links to article access at the publisher site are included in each record.