Beyond Implementation: Making Your ERMS Work for You

Abstract

The University of Notre Dame started building CORAL (http://erm.library.nd.edu/), a modularized open source ERM, over 2 years ago. Implementation caused workflow changes including deeper information sharing with stakeholders, enhanced record-keeping, and increased efforts and options for institutional knowledge storage. Likewise, American University, after learning about CORAL’s workflow utilities, implemented the Resources module to solve ongoing and emerging workflow issues when responsibility for some e-book ordering shifted from the ERM unit to the Acquisitions unit. Learn how ERM practices were enhanced and expanded at the two Libraries through the use of this flexible system. From Building to Using, Moving Beyong Implementation of Coral at Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame’s (ND) Hesburgh Libraries started a project to build the CORAL (Centralized Online Resources Acquisitions and Licensing) Electronic Resource Management (ERM) after evaluating existing ERM Systems versus local needs. The Licensing module was the first to be released as open-source software in 2010, and subsequent modules related to acquisitions of electronic resources (Resources Module), organization of vendor and account specific information (Organizations), and modules related to usage statistics and cancellations workflow have also been put into production at Notre Dame. In the almost 3 years since implementing CORAL-Licensing (CORAL-L), personnel involved in the acquisition and support of electronic resources have learned how to use CORAL, evaluated existing workflows, and explored changes to workflows and the way management of electronic resources is approached to take advantage of new ways of using CORAL to complete work more efficiently. Improved Information Distribution CORAL has changed the way we share information internally: where we look for information about existing orders, who has access to information about resources, and expectations related to sharing pieces of information regarding history of orders. Before the implementation of CORALResources module (CORAL-R), bibliographers at ND would complete a web form providing information such as title, expected cost, fund to use for payment, and a handful of other fields required to proceed with an order, but there was not an easy or consistent way to track additional or supplementary information known at the time of order (price quotes, title lists, etc.), outside of the form. With the implementation of CORAL-R, functionality to associate attachments (Figure 1) with the initial order requests facilitated improvements to expand access of information to anyone that looks at the record—bibliographers can provide background information on pricing expectations, attach title lists for e-book packages (e.g., to help personnel involved with batch loading of records to verify expectations for notyet-published content), and share documentation already received from providers (e.g., license documentation to avoid duplication of work in requesting known information again). CORAL has also improved communication and allowed greater distribution of information among stakeholders. CORAL access has been provided not only to electronic resources personnel, but also to university legal counsel and external library stakeholders (as appropriate), in addition to local bibliographers, reference staff, and library administration. The electronic resources unit continues to look for new ways to streamline processes and work more efficiently across