User:Kenllama/ERM

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Electronic Resource Management (ERM) refers to practices and software systems used by libraries to keep track of important information about electronic information resources, especially internet-based resources. The development of ERM became necessary in the early 2000s as it became clear that traditional library catalogs and integrated library systems were not designed to handle metadata for resources as mutable as many online products are.

Contents

[edit] History

ERMI grew out of research that Tim Jewell at the University of Washington conducted for a report on the selection and presentation of commercially-available electronic resources: Selection and Presentation of Commercially Available Electronic Resources: Issues and Practices (2001). During the course of this research, he became aware of the many databases and local practices libraries use to manage their licenses and associated information. With Adam Chandler of Cornell University, he established a Web hub to foster communication among interested parties. Tim subsequently worked with librarians involved in those efforts to inventory their systems' functions and data elements and began informal discussions of the potential value of standardizing functions, element names and definitions. The ALCTS Technical Services Directors of Large Research Libraries Discussion Group developed an interest in this work and agreed to sponsor an informal meeting at the January 2002 ALA Midwinter meeting that led to further discussions of functions and data elements. Following this meeting, an informal steering group was formed that included Tim, Adam, Sharon Farb and Angela Riggio from UCLA, Nathan Robertson from Johns Hopkins, Ivy Anderson from Harvard, and Kimberly Parker from Yale. In May 2002, NISO and DLF sponsored a Workshop on Standards for Electronic Resource Management; in addition to 40 librarians, the group included representatives from EBSCO, Endeavor, ExLibris, Fretwell Downing, Innovative Interfaces, SIRSI, and Serials Solutions. Librarians, publishers, and vendors are now coming together under DLF sponsorship to create and test standards for electronic resource management, including an XML schema for recording the details of a license agreement and for managing related descriptive metadata and administrative information associated with collections of licensed electronic resources. A common XML format will make it easier to share information and thus minimize duplication of effort. It will also give publishers and vendors a standardized format in which to deliver license information to customers and information management systems. Since then, DLF has established a working group consisting of the members of the DLF/NISO workshop steering group and other interested DLF members, whose task has been to continue the efforts already begun and to produce the deliverables noted below.

(DLF ERM Intiative page)

[edit] Examples of Commercial Products

Several library automation companies have developed ERM products, including several with generic-sounding names for specific commercial products. Some commercial systems include:

  • ERM from Innovative Interfaces, Inc.
  • ERMS from Sirsi Dynix, developed by Serials Solutions
  • Meridian from Endeavor (now owned by Ex Libris)
  • Verde from Ex Libris
  • Verify from VTLS

Some open source ERM systems also exist, including:

[edit] What's it to do?

DIRECT QUOTE FROM CELESTE'S SLIDES (no good citation!)

  • Support acquisition and management of licensed e-resources
  • May be integrated into other library system modules or may be a standalone system
  • Sometimes have a public interface, either separate or integrated into the OPAC
  • Encode access and descriptions of resources at the package level (EBSCO database or JSTOR) and relate package contents (ejournals) to the package record
  • Encode and perhaps publicly display licensed rights such as e-reserves, coursepacks, and interlibrary loan
  • Track e-resources from point of order through licensing and final access
  • Hold information about the data providers, consortial arrangements, access platform
  • Contact info for all providers
  • Log problems with resources and providers
  • Provide customizable e-mail alerting systems
  • Link license documents to resource records
  • Enable SUSHI access to usage statistics

[edit] Possible Sources

Boss, Richard W. "Automated Library System Vendors and Electronic Resources Management." Public Library Association. updated 3/8/07; accessed 5/21/07 Jewell, Timothy D., et al. Electronic Resource Management: Report of the DLF ERM Initiative. Washington, D.C.: Digital Library Federation, 2004. See also [1]

Category:Library_and_information_science