Electronic resource management systems: a workflow approach

To get to the bottom of a successful approach to Electronic Resource Management (ERM), Anderson interviewed staff at 11 institutions about their ERM implementations. Among her conclusions, presented in this issue of Library Technology Reports, is that grasping the intricacies of your workflow—analyzing each step to reveal the gaps and problems—at the beginning is crucial to selecting and implementing an ERM. Whether the system will be used to fill a gap, aggregate critical data, or replace a tedious manual process, the best solution for your library depends on factors such as your current software setup, staffing levels, and local support from systems staff. Providing guidance to library technology decision-makers, this report offers coverage of such important topics as:The five major elements of managing electronic resources: knowledge bases, acquisitions, administration and contracts, licensing, and reporting;Vendor systems from EBSCO, Ex Libris, and Innovative Interfaces, as well as three open source (OS) solutions;How ERMs function as a component of the library service platforms of OCLC Worldshare, Ex Libris Alma, Serial Solutions Intota, Kuali OLE, and Innovative Interfaces Sierra