Staying on the top of the game:

Staying on the top of the game: Role of an academic librarye-resources & serials manager in facilitatingdeep and seamless integrated access to information resources, regardless of format. Score big with resources, tools and skills below! By Regina Koury

Number 2 assumption from the 2007 ACRL Top Ten Assumptions for the Future of Academic Libraries and Librarians states: “The skill set for librarians will continue to evolve in response to the changing needs and expectations of the populations they serve.” The population that academic libraries serve is technology savvy with demand for instant global access to an easy-to-use and intuitive interfaces. They are Millennials or Generation Y- sociable, optimistic, well-educated, collaborative, open-minded and achievement-oriented. They pay higher costs for higher education and they have higher expectations than any generation before them. They’re so well connected that, if something doesn’t match those expectations, they can tell thousands of their cohorts with one click of the mouse.

Tools & resources: • ERMS • ILS • Subscription agents • Library portal/catalog • Federated searching • Usage statistics • Remote access to enable off-network users to access vendor-provided resources • RSS feed, blogs, wikis, library web pages

Electronic resource management systems (ERMS) Serials Solutions, Harrassowitz HERMIS, Innovative Interfaces, Inc (III ERM ) Homegrown and commercial, depending on the patron’s needs and institutional goals Provide tools helping to manage licensing and acquisition process and provide access to materials Offer A-Z journal listing, link resolver, MARC records service, usage statistics, metasearch tools, overlap analysis

Track and keep licenses

Integrated Library System (ILS) Consists of a number of functional modules, such as acquisitions, circulation, cataloging, serials, reserves and a library portal There are several types of ILS: commercial (Innovative's Millennium , SirsiDynix Unicorn, ExLibris Aleph, Endeavor Voyager) and open source: Koha, Evergreen

ILS • Pricing based on number of concurrent users to number of volumes and locations • Most use OCLC as bibliographic utility • Book and serial vendor interface • Show book jackets and reviews • ERM interoperability

Subscription Agents • Harrassowitz, SWETS, EBSCO • Publisher pricing and change of subscription options alerts • Send orders to the publisher, including correct IP addresses and take care of the time – consuming registration process. • Troubleshooting interruptions in online access or receiving of the print issues • Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for orders, claims and invoices with leading library management systems, in EDIFACT, X12, and proprietary formats, management reports • Track administrative data: FTE’s, IP ranges, passwords, activation codes, order subscription numbers.

Harrassowitz Batch invoicing Online claiming Invoice history

SWETS Claiming Tracking of payments Easy subscription management

Library portals • AcquaBrowser Next generation Melvyl

Federated Searching

Usage statistics • COUNTER • Non-COUNTER • Scholarly Stats • 360 Counter from Serials Solutions • SUSHI • Proxy server user logs • Web server logs

Remote Access

RSS feed and blogs Blogs are used to communicate information on trial access to e-resources, announcing new materials added to the collection, track resource problems and experiences RSS feed for articles in a licensed journals or newspapers or RSS for recent acquisitions

Skills • Knowledge of computer technology • Interpersonal written and oral communication skills • Management skills • Energy, flexibility and willingness to learn • Sense of humor

Tools and Resources are great, but they are nothing without people!! • Training and continuing education for staff, communication, cross train staff on more than one task, document new procedures and policies • When all levels of staff are structurally involved in planning and development, the results are less resistance. Communicate well how the work of department affects other units, listen to suggestions, delegate tasks • Work with peer institutions, attend conferences • Always think of the patron needs

Sources used • The ACRL Environmental Scan 2007 www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/Environmental_Scan_2.pdf (accessed June 10th, 2008) • Kasprowski. “Recent Developments in Electronic Resource Management in Libraries.” • OCLC Online Computer Library Center. 2006. College Students Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources www.oclc.org/reports/perceptionscollege.htm (accessed June 10th, 2008). • 10 essential competencies for IT pros techrepublic.com.com/i/tr/downloads/home/10_things_competencies.pdf – (accessed June 14th, 2008) • ER&L forum http://electroniclibrarian.org/forum/2008/03/25/technologies-for-assisting-with-e-resource-workflow-notes-from-workflow-roundtable-part-ii/ (accessed June 12th, 2008) • Fixing a Hole: Incorporating Usage Statistics into the Electronic Resource Life Cycle Boston_Whang_ERL_final.pdf • The E-only Tipping Point for Journals www.arl.org/bm~doc/Electronic_Transition.pdf - • McKiernan, Gerry; Ohler, Lila A. The Keys to Successful Change Management for Serials The Serials Librarian, Volume 51, Number 1, 17 July 2006 , pp. 37-72(36) • Higher Education for Multi-Taskers: http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2005/10/millennial/ (accessed June 12th, 2008)

Staying on the top of the game: