Charting a Course through CORAL: Texas A&M University Libraries' Experience Implementing an Open-Source Electronic Resources Management System

Abstract

In 2010, after two previous unsuccessful attempts at electronic resources management system (ERMS) implementation, Texas A&M University (TAMU) Libraries set out once again to find an ERMS that would fit its needs. After surveying the field, TAMU Libraries selected the University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries–developed, open-source ERMS, CORAL (Centralized Online Resources Acquisitions and Licensing). This article documents the selection, planning, and implementation of CORAL at the Texas A&M University Libraries as well as future plans for the system.

KEYWORDS:

• Electronic resources management system
• ERMS
• open-source software
• CORAL
• academic library

Notes

CORAL, and its documentation, is available for download at http://erm.library.nd.edu/. Since CORAL is freely available, Hesburgh Libraries did not put any mechanism in place to track CORAL usage; at this time, it is unclear exactly how many libraries use CORAL. In 2011, Hesburgh Libraries sent out an informal survey to the members of CORAL's discussion list to try to get an idea of the number of CORAL installations. Based on the data from the survey and gathered since, it is believed that over 30 libraries are in some stage of the implementation process.