Chapter XX Chapter XX “The Future of Electronic Resource Management Systems: Inside and Out”
E- Journals Administration
Once a library acquires an electronic journal, that title must be activated. Activation can be processed directly at the publisher’s site or through a subscription agent such as EBSCO. The simplest way to activate e-journals is through the subscrip- tion agent. The agent will submit the subscription to the publisher with the library’s registration information. Once the publisher receives this in- formation, the library’s contact person is notified.
Unfortunately, this is not always the method the publisher allows or the library has a direct order through the publisher.
If the publisher requires the library to activate their individual subscriptions directly, the library must contact the publisher for activation directions including the required information for activation.
Most publishers require the subscription number that appears on the mailing labels. This is easy to find unless the publishers mails the journal in a shrink wrap package. If a journal is delivered in a shrink wrap package, the person responsible for opening the mail must be made aware of the need for the mailing label. This can be time consuming due to the fact that the library has to wait for the next issue to arrive in order to activate the title.
If a journal is quarterly, that may take a while.
However, in most cases, the library can contact the publisher and obtain this information.
Online activation is normally a simple process.
The DEERM opens that publisher’s activation page and enters the required information includ- ing, but not limited to, contact information (mail- ing address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail
address), registration/subscription identifier, and then, if allowed, IP ranges. If IP authentication is not allowed, a username and password must be obtained. If a username and password are required, the HCL staff has decided to create a way to distribute this information without violat- ing the license agreements. The DEERM creates a Web page with the URL, the username, and the password for those journals. These pages are placed on a secure and restricted page in the course reserve system, ERES. Authorized users can gain access to these resources by authenticat- ing through the reserve system.
Serials Solutions
HCL subscribes to Serials Solutions’ AMS, Ac- cess and Management Suite, product. This product is used to provide access to all journals that the Library has available to the users in electronic format. “AMS helps you simplify e-journal access and management at your library:
• Provide easy access to your entire electronic journal collection
• Reduce time spent searching for specific journals
• Reveal what’s in your aggregated data- bases
• Link your abstract and indexing databases to your full-text resources
• Simplify your e-journal management
• Quickly evaluate the contribution of indi- vidual databases to your collection” (Serials Solutions, 2006, para. 3)
AMS does eliminate some of the management process, but not all. Serials Solutions makes it very easy to add journals to the collection. When HCL subscribed to this product, all of the aggregated databases were added. What followed next was an onslaught of electronic journals. Individual publisher packages were added, then individual journals, and then free accessible journals. Now,
Sharing the Albatross of E-Resources Management Workflow
Serials Solutions even allows their users to submit titles to be tracked. Any and all electronic journals can now be tracked through this product. The Client Center, Serials Solutions administrative module, is the tool that must be used in order to add journals to the profile. Administrators can also obtain overlap analysis reports and usage statistics from the Client Center. These tools assist the library in determining if a resource should be considered for adding/cancelling through both of these reports. Finally, Serials Solutions now allows the library administrator to receive a report of all of the titles tracked in the profile.
Previously, this report was delivered through e- mail by Serials Solutions. So, once again Serials Solutions is making improvements to the way a library manages their electronic resources.
Maintenance
Dead links in a library’s catalog are frustrating for the end user and detrimental to the credibility of the library. Automated link checking is the most effective way to ferret out problematic links in the catalog, and a link checking script can be useful for detecting broken URLs in records. One that runs a portion of the library catalog each week so that over the course of a month the entire catalog is checked is a manageable way to go.
Some link checkers will provide detailed reports of the types of problems encountered with the URLs. Such reports may tell whether the page has been moved, where it has been moved, or if it has been removed altogether. One caveat is that automated link checkers are often not able to distinguish broken links from links that time- out during the check. Sometimes batch updates of aggregated database links can be done when a vendor changes its domain name, saving much tedious record manipulation.
E-journals are a particular maintenance quan- dary. Tracking changes to titles can be problem- atic and may require wearisome manipulation of vendor-supplied reports to obtain useful results.
For example, rather than provide a report of titles added and titles removed from the databases, Serials Solutions only provides a report of all the titles in the databases. Customers can generate their own Excel reports of every title in their pro- file; however, if a title appears in four databases, the title will appear four times in the report. By converting these reports to a Microsoft Access report, an application can be devised which re- moves duplicate titles. Each month a report can be run, comparing it to the previous month’s report to see where titles differ. These reports can then be run against the library’s catalog to see which titles are already in the catalog. Further reports must be run to see which of these titles are new and which titles have been removed. Serials So- lutions does not currently provide a list of title changes, either, so these kinds of changes must be tracked manually.
Usage Statistics
Monitoring and collecting usage statistics is an especially important part of the process in deter- mining renewal decisions for electronic resources.
The level of formality for keeping statistics de- pends on individual institutional needs, and can range anywhere from complete monthly detailed analysis to a simple annual review at renewal time. No matter what the level of record keeping is involved, the review of these statistics should be an integral part of the acquisitions workflow for determining renewal decisions. Because of the time-consuming nature of collecting this data, vendors now offer commercial products that will collect and organize usage statistics for institutional subscribers. Pricing levels for these products are dependent on the number of databases monitored.
MARketIng
If you buy it will they come? Once the process for acquiring, cataloging, and providing access
Sharing the Albatross of E-Resources Management Workflow
to an electronic resource has been completed, all of the library staff works together to promote and market that resource. Without this collaboration, a resource that may be a huge part of the budget may not be used. If it is not used, then that money was not spent wisely.
This collaborative effort can extend outside of the library as well (or straight to the source so to speak). Occasionally, once items have been selected or purchased, database or electronic re- source vendors and/or sales representatives offer training sessions to introduce their product. Along with these introductory sessions, vendors often provide training and promotional material. It is a good idea to ask what promotional or training materials are available. These vendor led show- cases or vendor sponsored “freebies” are a great way to get others interested in the product and to introduce the new resources to your library and university as a whole. If any promotional materials are sent to the library it is suggested that the library staff display them at public service points or student commons. Nobody can sell or market a product better than a library vendor so take advantage of all the materials and training or marketing support they have to offer.
Another marketing method is to distribute an e-mail message using the preestablished listservs.
This message includes a brief description of the product along with the URL for access. Also in- cluded in this message are the pages and links to those pages on which that the resources appears.
Another marketing method is to add information about the new resources to the library’s Web page on the “What’s New” page at http://www.jsu.edu/
depart/library/graphic/whatsnew.htm. This page provides the same information that is included in the e-mail message: brief description, a link to the resource, and where the resource has been added to the Web pages. The public services librarians are charged with maintaining communications between themselves and their departmental fac- ulty liaisons. Part of this communication should include announcements about new resources and
updates on other resources. Finally, new resources are discussed with students in library instruction sessions.
tRAInIng
The next step in the electronic resource manage- ment workflow belongs to the public services librarians. This step takes place when the public services librarians begin instructing the users about the electronic resource and how to use it. Again, if the resource is not being used, the money was wasted. Library patrons are “trained”
on the new electronic resources in a number of ways. Through in person reference interactions with librarians, through e-mail, phone, or other contact with librarians, and through the numerous formal library instruction sessions conducted by librarians throughout the academic year.
All subject specialist librarians are expected to teach library instruction sessions. The library instruction program is coordinated from the Head of Public Services Office. Currently there is no credit bearing information literacy course at JSU. Most, if not all of the library instruction sessions come in the typical “one shot” variety where the library is asked to conduct a session for a class during their regularly scheduled time.
The pros and cons of the “one shot” course are endlessly debated, however the instruction pro- gram and system at the HCL is both vibrant and successful. The library faculty typically teaches over 400 sessions, reaching over 5,000 students, in the fall and spring semesters. Because of the strong liaison activity, university faculty are very supportive of the library’s instruction efforts and do not hesitate to schedule an instruction session or to bring their classes over to the library.
Additionally, the library’s instruction program is available to distance students who are less likely to sit in a face to face instruction session or come to the library for help, but yet are perhaps more dependent on electronic resources for their
Sharing the Albatross of E-Resources Management Workflow
research and library needs. To assist our patrons who are not actually in the library, the library provides a virtual tour, a “what’s new” section on it’s home page, an online tutorial, a tutorial and instruction session online and available in CD-ROM, and just recently the library has been busy embedding itself (or a librarian) in the online course management systems at the university. The student taking a class online through Blackboard or WebCT can have access to the library resources and librarians without leaving the online course.
Librarians can embed themselves in a course and be available at prescribed times for chat reference, e-mail reference, or can simply post a power point or handout with pertinent information regarding resources that available to help with assignments for the class. The embedding feature also provides the librarians with a vehicle to deliver a tutorial or to gather feedback about library services offered to the distance education student.
Because the librarians are actively teaching the library’s resources throughout the year, it is very important that they keep abreast of all the new electronic resources as well. Often the latest and greatest electronic resource is exactly what the student’s need to complete an assignment, and although the electronic resources can be overwhelming, the librarians assure the students that it is our job to keep up with them so they do not have to. Because these electronic resources can be added once a semester, once a month, mid month, or even day to day, the librarian’s ability to “keep up” is vital to the user’s success with, and ultimately acceptance of, any new electronic resource.
AssesMent
And finally the process ends where it began—with the public services librarians. The final step of the electronic resource management workflow takes place when the public services librarians re-evalu- ate the resource to determine if the library needs
to continue providing the resource or to cancel it. During the assessment process, usage statis- tics from Serials Solutions and/or the individual vendors/providers should be reviewed. No matter how “good” the resource is, if the users are not accessing it, it is not of value to the collection.
Usage statistics are not the only deciding factor.
The overlap analysis report will aid in the deter- mination of an electronic resource. For example, if the library owns two resources that have the exact same materials and coverage but one is not being used, that one resource would be a good candidate for cancellation.
The subject specialists (public service librar- ians) are asked to assess their collections on a regular basis. The library assesses its collection by doing a detailed qualitative and quantitative report on call number ranges and subject areas.
The librarians report on the number of items in the collection and provide a narrative about the strengths and weaknesses of each area found after the assessment is completed. The library follows the guidelines established by the OCLC/WLN collection assessment service. Part of the assess- ment process is to evaluate the “defined access”
or electronic resources that are available in each of the respective subject areas. Defined access can include Websites, electronic books, electronic journals, and databases. The electronic resources are assessed, just like the physical collection, and decisions are made as to the advantages or disadvantages of such resources.
In addition to the aforementioned assessment techniques, word of mouth and user reaction are great indicators of how well an electronic resource is working in or for your library. Librarians at the reference desk or on their floors should pay attention to which resources are being used more heavily or more regularly than others.
conclusIon
The management of electronic resources is an enormously involved process best handled by a
Sharing the Albatross of E-Resources Management Workflow
coordinated group. Since there is a huge amount of work involved in the managerial process, it can overwhelm a single person. This multifaceted process requires the cooperation of all areas of a library from public services to technical services.
This cooperation can lead to an even more effec- tive method of managing electronic resources:
collaboration. The collaboration between tech- nical services and public services librarians will not only ease the workload and streamline the workflow; it will lead to a quality collection of electronic resources that the users know about and use. It will also provide an added benefit of allowing each service area to see what the other does and provide a way for each group to see the whole process, which will lead to workforce that concentrates on the “team” instead of the
“individual” and provide insight into the “big picture.”
“And from my neck so free The Albatross fell off, and sank Like lead into the sea”
So, let the albatross fall off the neck of one person and have it be distributed to a group of people. The entire process will become easier and much more efficient.
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Chapter VI
Process Mapping for Electronic Resources:
A Lesson from Business Models
Marianne Afifi
California State University, Northridge, USA
Copyright © 2008, IGI Global, distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
AbstRAct
The number of electronic resources is continually growing and the processes associated with managing them are ever more complex. Consequently, completely new ways of managing these resources efficiently and effectively must be invented or borrowed from industries that also must manage complex processes.
This chapter describes how a method generally employed in business and industry can be applied in managing electronic resource-related processes in libraries. Specifically, a technique called process map- ping and its potential application to electronic resource management in libraries is described. Existing electronic resource management guidelines are conceptually linked to actual management situations. A case study is presented which is intended to illustrate the process.
IntRoductIon
Electronic resource management differs from long-established collection development and technical services operations in that the latter have largely dealt with physical items. Over time, libraries and other information organizations have had a wealth of experience in how to select, acquire, and make accessible physical materials.
With the emergence of virtual and electronic
resources, the types of processes that libraries have traditionally employed do no adequately serve these new formats. Moreover, there is no clear consensus on how to manage these virtual materials efficiently and effectively within the information organization. Efforts to standard- ize how to manage electronic resources from a technical perspective were originally begun at the Digital Library Federation (DLF) and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and