Which term refers to regulating who can access digital resources?

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

Answer: (B)

Access control is the mechanism for regulating who can access digital resources and what they can do with them. It starts with authentication, confirming a user’s identity, and moves to authorization, deciding the level of access they receive. In a library or school setting, this means ensuring students, teachers, and staff can use the resources and systems they’re permitted to—whether that’s viewing a database, downloading a file, or editing a shared document. Access can be shaped by roles (student, teacher, librarian), group memberships, or rules tied to user attributes. Policies may restrict some resources to staff, or limit certain actions like printing or copying. This differs from metadata creation, which describes resources to help find them; from resource usage tracking, which records how resources are used; and from collection development decisions, which determine what to acquire or keep based on needs.