Deselection is one of the most strategic and sensitive collection development activities. Every decision to withdraw a physical title carries long‑term implications for access, discovery, and trust. Libraries need more than item counts and duplication reports; they need clarity about what access truly remains once a book leaves the shelf.
With Electronic Title Matches in Rialto Collection Development Workflows, users gain a clearer, more holistic view of their collections, bringing print and electronic realities together to support confident, defensible weeding decisions.
From Print‑Only Comparisons to Format‑Aware Decisions
Until now, deselection workflows in Rialto enabled libraries to compare physical book titles within their own collections or against holdings at external institutions. These comparisons remain a powerful way to identify duplication and low‑use materials.
Electronic Title Matches build on this foundation by introducing a new, complementary perspective: visibility into electronic equivalents of physical books held by your institution or Network Zone. Rather than focusing on where else a print title exists, this capability focuses on how your users can still access the content and whether that access is temporary or owned.
Used on its own or alongside existing comparison options, electronic title matching helps libraries move from format‑siloed decisions to access‑informed deselection strategies.
See When Print Is Backed by Electronic Access
When working on a deselection project, Rialto now automatically identifies electronic versions corresponding to physical book titles under review. This gives users immediate insight into whether a print withdrawal still leaves patrons with electronic access, and what kind of access that is.
Electronic matches are identified only within your institution or its Network Zone. External library holdings are never considered, keeping recommendations anchored firmly in your local access landscape.
Align Recommendations with Your Deselection Philosophy
Electronic title matching is configurable during project creation, allowing each deselection initiative to reflect your library’s risk tolerance and space‑planning goals.
In the Electronic Matches section, you can choose to:
Suggest only items that have an electronic match in my institution
Prioritizes print titles where an electronic version already exists.
Suggest only items that have a perpetual electronic match in my institution
Limits recommendations to titles backed by owned, long‑term electronic access.
Do not consider electronic matches in recommendations (default)
Keeps electronic availability informational without influencing suggestions.
These options ensure that recommendations support local policy, whether your goal is aggressive space recovery or cautious, access‑first deselection.
Rich Context, Not Just a Yes‑or‑No Match
For each recommended title, the Electronic Matches section displays all matched electronic records, ordered by the number of associated portfolios. Each match includes detailed bibliographic information and perpetual (owned) access information.
For maximum transparency, the full list of all matched records is always accessible, supporting careful review and decision making.
Weeding with Confidence, Grounded in Access
Electronic Title Matches shift deselection from a purely physical exercise to an access‑aware decision‑making process. By bringing electronic availability directly into the workflow, Rialto reduces manual verification, removes uncertainty, and supports choices that are both practical and principled.
Create space responsibly. Preserve access intentionally.
For more information see Rialto Collection Development documentation.
