The Hidden Benefits of Implementing an Electronic Resources Management System

1. The Hidden Benefits of Implementing anElectronic ResourcesManagement System Rochelle Ballard Jennifer Lang Princeton University Library World Library and Information Congress 73rd IFLA General Conference and Council Satellite Meeting ELECTRONIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS A Solution With Its Own Challenges 16 August 2007

2. In a Nutshell… Managing electronic resources means getting the right information to the right people at the right time.

3. Who Needs Information? • Library selectors • Bibliographers • Acquisitions and serials staff • Cataloging staff • Public services staff

4. Traditional Silos • In-house databases • Spreadsheets • Email messages • Paper files

5. Why an ERMS? An electronic resource management system should facilitate “management of the information and workflows necessary to efficiently select, evaluate, acquire, maintain, and provide access to e-resources.” Electronic Resource Management: Report of the DLF Electronic Resource Management Initiative, 2004. http://www.diglib.org/pubs/dlf102/

6. Populating the System • Expected benefits • Initial load • Additional information • Hidden benefit • Discovering and implementing the customization options

7. License Management • Expected benefit • Documenting usage rights and restrictions • Hidden benefit • Opportunity to re-examine licenses and re-negotiate undesirable terms

8. Dissemination of Information • “Central Control Tower” • One stop shopping • Decentralization of management • Hidden benefit • Ability to customize presentation of information based on user groups

9. Clean Up • Quality control • Reconciling A-Z list with bibliographic database • Coverage • Title changes • Catalog “missed” titles • Hidden benefit • Cataloger understanding of vendor and publisher operations

10. Staff Benefits – All Hidden! • New alliances • Opportunity to learn new technologies • Better understanding of each others’ work • Outreach

11. Rochelle R. Ballard Digital Resources Coordinator Princeton University Firestone Library – Technical Services One Washington Road Princeton, NJ 08544 Phone: 609 258-7115 Fax: 609 258-9363 Email: rballard@princeton.edu Jennifer Lang Electronic Resources Cataloger Princeton University Firestone Library Room 2-7-G One Washington Road Princeton, NJ 08544 Phone: 609 258-5476 Fax: 609 258-0441 Email: lang@princeton.edu Thank You! This presentation and additional information can be found at http://jenniferlang.net/ifla2007