Which term describes the system for controlling permissions to digital resources?

• A. Metadata Creation
• B. Access Control
• C. Resource Usage Tracking
• D. Collection Development Decisions

Answer: (B)

Controlling who can do what with digital resources is handled by access control. This system defines and enforces permissions—like who can view, download, edit, or delete a file or database record—often using methods such as access control lists, roles, or capabilities. Authentication verifies identity, while authorization uses those identities to grant or deny specific actions, all bound by the access-control rules. In a library context, access control protects licensed or sensitive content and ensures only authorized users can access certain resources. The other terms describe related ideas but not the mechanism for controlling permissions: metadata creation describes describing resources, resource usage tracking logs how resources are used, and collection development decisions relate to choosing what to acquire, not who may access it.