Abstract
Susan Banoun shared preliminary results of a survey regarding electronic resource management (ERM) systems and how they affect library technical service units. Banoun and three panelists provided specific examples of experiences with ERM systems at their institutions. The discussion included information about technical services organization and staffing, training, and evaluation of ERM systems.
INTRODUCTION
Susan Banoun, Head of Electronic Resources at the University of Cincinnati (UC) was motivated to study the impact of an electronic resources management (ERM) system on technical services when she was unable to find information about how the tool was being incorporated into existing workloads and how it affected staffing. She chose to collect information from other libraries by soliciting information through an unscientific polling of institutions via an online questionnaire.
The University of Cincinnati installed the Innovative Interfaces, Inc., (III) ERM system in November 2008. Ten staff members were provided with three days of on-site vendor training with the expectation that they would train other staff members. During the installation and training several other significant initiatives were in process at UC. The Health Sciences Library and Main Library administration units were combined, R2 Consultants visited to provide reorganization recommendations, and a reorganization of the Technical Services Department was undertaken.
Prior to the ERM system implementation and departmental reorganization, technical services at UC consisted of two departments. Serious questions were raised about how duties associated with an ERM system would be absorbed into the existing structure and workload. An ERM Implementation Task Force created in 2008 recommended the following actions for the unit: repurpose existing staff, reorganize work spaces, and write new job descriptions. Even with these changes the ERM system implementation still did not became the priority that it needed to be. Questions concerning how to absorb the work of the ERM system and how to take full advantage of the system remained.
SURVEY OVERVIEW
To collect information from other librarians regarding her questions about implementation and utilization of ERM systems, Banoun decided to conduct an informal survey of other institutions. She designed fifteen questions to solicit information about the impact of the implementation on the technical staff, such as staffing levels, departmental organization, and changes in workflow processes. Banoun launched the survey using library-related electronic discussion lists.
Response to the survey posted on May 4, 2010, was immediate. Within the first two hours of posting, Banoun received fifty responses to the survey. The survey remained open for eleven days and 179 total responses were received.
Preliminary data results show that sixty-eight of the respondents utilize the III ERM system, thirty-one utilize Serials Solutions 360, and twenty-two have implemented ExLibris Verde. An additional fourteen respondents use systems developed in-house. A variety of other commercial systems were used by the remaining respondents. Banoun is continuing to analyze the data received from the survey and the results will be disseminated though various channels in the months to come.
PANEL DISCUSSION
A panel consisting of Deberah England, Electronic Resources Librarian at Wright State University (WSU); Sharon Purtee, Medical Cataloger at the Health Sciences Library, University of Cincinnati; and Angela Riggio, Head of Digital Collection Management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), were then invited to share their experiences with the implementation and utilization of the ERM system at their institutions. Banoun posed several questions to the panelists to elicit their insights. Additionally, many of the more than 125 attendees at the session shared perceptions from their experiences with ERM systems.
Technical Services Organization and Staffing
England reported that WSU uses the III ERM system. Her staff of four did not transfer with her when she changed positions to work on electronic resources, and she depended on a student to help load information into the ERM system. With assistance from WSU's Web developer and systems librarian, England was able to utilize MySQL to extract and load data into the ERM system. England hopes that in the near future she will be able to offer a practicum to a library science graduate student to use Online Information Exchange for Publications Licenses (ONIX-PL) to load licensing records into the system. England finds that it is challenging to administer and manage an ERM system and recommends that blocks of time be scheduled to devote to it.
Banoun and Purtee shared that the reorganization of technical services at UC has affected the number of staff devoted to electronic resources responsibilities. The electronic resources librarian hired was an internal candidate with no net gain of total staff. As staff retire or resign, their responsibilities are being reassigned as a part of the reorganization process. A concern from their perspective is that there is no one devoted 100 percent to overseeing the ERM system.
Riggio's institution recently migrated from a local ERM system to Serials Solutions and faced a complete structure change. Forty to fifty staff members are developing new workflows to incorporate the duties of managing the system. UCLA currently has six full-time-equivalent staff devoted to electronic resources: one does licensing, two do acquisitions work, and others do data entry and management. Riggio also has a library school intern identified to provide assistance. An additional challenge exists with a consortial ERM system that does not allow data sharing with their local system.
Banoun added that data from her survey indicate that the work of an ERM system is often being absorbed into the responsibilities of many existing staff members. ERM system implementation and management are also many times not being considered a top priority.
ERM System Training
Riggio and her colleagues at UCLA received a two-day training session from Serials Solutions on their ERM system before transferring from their in-house system. She serves as the overall manager and implemented the system with one other co-worker. It has been a difficult transition for the staff to change work procedures while migrating to the new ERM system. Currently all resources are transferred to the new system including selected free resources.
Banoun and Purtee added that a system of train-the-trainer was used at UC for the III ERM system. A three-day training session was attended by ten staff members. The training was good but did not include much written documentation. With other library initiatives competing for attention, it proved to be difficult to follow up on what had been learned at the training session and as time passed the train-the-trainer system was not manageable. The ERM system at UC is currently used only for managing database resources with a plan to add other materials as time allows.
As an early implementer of the III ERM system, England used a variety of methods to obtain training. She did self training by looking on the Internet and in the literature, and went on site visits to Ohio State University, which had served as a beta test site for the ERM system. As the overall manager and implementer, England was able to experiment with the system to determine the most effective set up to meet the needs of her institution. One hundred percent of WSU's e-journals and databases are now included in the ERM system, which also includes selected government publications and e-book collections.
ERM System Evaluation
Banoun and Purtee reported that the ERM system at UC has not solved all their problems, but some improvements have been realized. Budget tracking and staffing continue to be challenges. A final determination of the effectiveness will not be evident until the system becomes a part of the general staff workflow and not considered as something extra. Banoun added that in retrospect things were done in the wrong order; local goals for the ERM system should have been set before training occurred.
England reported that with an ERM system troubleshooting is easier, managing packages is better, and more information is available for OhioLink source titles. At WSU, England has taken a proactive approach to utilizing the ERM system. She has adapted records to include non-resources data, such as institutional data (for example, full-time equivalent students, dissertations granted, and number of campus computers), and management information (for example, consortial connections and authority records). She encouraged others to think broadly about how to utilize the capabilities of their ERM system. According to England work needs to continue in the development of standards for the industry.
Riggio suggested that it is important to have buy-in from staff. A method she used to empower staff members was to involve them in the process of writing workflows for the ERM system. She encouraged electronic resources librarians to take ownership of ERM systems and advocate for standards and changes through National Information Standards Organization (NISO) standards format and user group initiatives.
AUDIENCE DISCUSSION
Several questions and ideas were raised by audience members during the session. One librarian was seeking information about how to select an ERM system. The panelists suggested visiting libraries where an ERM system is being successfully used, contacting your consortial partners to find if they are supporting a system that could be used for sharing joint records, determining if your integrated library system supports an ERM system that would allow for downloading existing record information, and determining needs for the system before purchase.
Another librarian asked what features the panelists have found most useful since ERM system implementation. The array of answers included managing license agreements, tracking workflow, handling usage statistics, creating statistical and overlap analysis reports, administering renewals, organizing electronic trials, recording username and password information, and creating reminder files. Many libraries are still developing criteria on how to make the most effective use of their ERM system and deciding whether or not to implement the public interface component.
CONCLUSION
Although the participants' libraries utilize different ERM systems and have taken distinct approaches to the implementation and usage of an ERM system, they did agree on a number of guiding principles. Before training takes place, library ERM system stakeholders should review the chosen product and set goals about how the system will be used. The panelists felt that determining in advance what specific features of the ERM system will be used may serve to increase the success of implementation and utilization.
The panelists strongly advocated for the session participants to become involved with setting standards for the ERM systems industry. Both England and Riggio participate on NISO's ERM Data Standards and Best Practices Review Working Group. They encouraged others to join them and also to advocate for standards through participation in user groups and in other venues.
If the interest and questions generated by this session are any indication, ERM systems and their impact on technical services will remain a topic of concern for some time to come. Banoun ended the session by sharing data from her survey which revealed that the longer a library has had a functional ERM system, the more satisfied respondents were with the product.