Finding the gaps: ERM in Alma, Sierra, and WorldShare

Presentation given on April 4, 2017 at the Electronic Resources and Libraries (ER&L) Conference in Austin, TX. A brief version of this presentation was also given on November 17, 2016 at the ACRL New England Electronic Resources Management Interest Group (ERMIG).

Authors: Jane Natches, Tufts University and Emily Singley, Boston College

This presentation covers the results of a survey of 299 ERM librarians at Alma, Sierra, and WMS libraries. The survey asked librarians what ERM tasks they performed within their library systems, and what tasks they still perform outside their library systems.

Transcript

1. Finding the Gaps: ERM in Alma, Sierra, and WMS Jane Natches, Tufts University Emily Singley, Boston College April, 2017
2. What we are going to cover  Why we did the study  What we did - methodology  What we learned – our findings
3. Why we did the study  Evaluating “next-gen” ILS systems at our institutions  Anecdotal evidence that new systems still require external tools  Was that true? Needed more evidence…
4. ERM forms still used at an Alma school
5. Our research question: “Do Library Services Platforms provide libraries the ability to manage electronic resources completely within the system without the need for additional tools?”
6. What we did: Sent a survey to academic libraries that had already implemented new systems
7. How we chose systems  “Library Services Platforms (LSP)” as defined by Marshall Breeding1  Three mature systems: Alma, Sierra, WorldShare 1. Breeding, M. (2015). Library services platforms: A maturing genre of products. Library Technology Reports, 51(4), 1.
8. Who we asked  U.S. academic libraries using Alma, Sierra, WMS  Sent survey directly to 435 ERM staff  Posted survey on ERM and vendor listservs  Respondents were asked to identify their library system
9. Developing the survey questions Wanted to know: What ERM tasks are performed in LSPs? What ERM tasks are performed outside LSPs?
10. ERM tasks  Needed a generic list of ERM tasks  Did not want to use our institution’s workflows  Did not want to consider system functionality Problem: What tasks do all electronic resource librarians perform??
11. TERMS to the rescue https://library.hud.ac.uk/blogs/terms/
12. Developed 18 questions about ERM tasks in 3 different stages of the workflow: 1) Assessing a journal package for purchase 2) Acquiring and implementing a journal package 3) Assessing a journal package for renewal
13. Focused on only one resource format  ERM tasks vary based on format – E-book? Database? Single title?  Asked about tasks performed for just one format – a journal package  Provided a specific journal package as a scenario in the survey: “Oxford Journals Online”  Goal was to ensure consistency in responses
14. The Survey For each specific task, we asked respondents to choose one option:  We perform this task in our library system  We perform this task outside our library system  We perform this task both in and outside our library system  I don’t know or not applicable
15. 1. Assessing a journal package for purchase “When evaluating a journal package (e.g., Oxford Journals Online) for purchase, where do you perform the following tasks?”
16. Task Record the type of access, e.g., perpetual, rolling, one-time purchase, open access Record the number of users, e.g., single user, multiple users, site license Record the cost of the resource, including any additional terms negotiated with the sales representative Record the library fund that will be used to pay for the resource Record the vendor contact information Record trial start and end dates Evaluate title list and coverage dates
17. 2. Acquiring and implementing a journal package “When licensing and implementing a journal package, where do you perform the following tasks?”
18. Task Record license terms Store license and/or link to license Record administrative metadata (login for admin module, access to user statistics, etc.) Record beginning and end dates of subscription Record package details, including full list of titles and coverage dates Record the type of access, e.g., perpetual, rolling, one-time purchase, open access Record the number of users, e.g., single user, multiple users, site license Activate all journal titles, i.e., ensure all titles display to users in your discovery interface(s)
19. 3. Assessing a journal package for renewal “When determining whether to renew a journal package, where do you perform the following tasks?”
20. Task View usage statistics for the journal package and individual journal titles Compare usage statistics with other packages and/or titles Calculate cost per use of individual journal titles in package
21. The Findings Responses Alma 43% Sierra 40% WMS 16% 299 librarians took the survey:
22. Total Results by System Section 1: Assessing a journal package for purchase In Lib System Outside Lib System Both In and Outside System Don’t Know Alma 34% 29% 26% 11% Sierra 31% 39% 22% 8% WMS 20% 48% 16% 17%
23. ERM Tasks Still Require External Tools Section 1: Assessing a journal package for purchase In Lib System Outside Lib System Both In and Outside System Don’t Know Alma 34% 29% 26% 11% Sierra 31% 39% 22% 8% WMS 20% 48% 16% 17%
24. Total Results by System Section 2: Acquiring and implementing a journal package In Lib System Outside Lib System Both In and Outside System Don’t Know Alma 49% 16% 25% 9% Sierra 27% 43% 24% 6% WMS 29% 44% 23% 4%
25. ERM Tasks Still Require External Tools Section 2: Acquiring and implementing a journal package In Lib System Outside Lib System Both In and Outside System Don’t Know Alma 49% 16% 25% 9% Sierra 27% 43% 24% 6% WMS 29% 44% 23% 4%
26. ERM Tasks Still Require External Tools Section 3: Assessing a journal package for renewal In Lib System Outside Lib System Both In and Outside System Don’t Know Alma 6% 55% 22% 17% Sierra 4% 85% 4% 8% WMS 12% 65% 17% 6%
27. Top 5 ERM Tasks Performed Entirely OUTSIDE Systems Alma Sierra WMS 56% View Usage Stats of pkgs & jrnl titles 87% View Usage Stats of pkgs & jrnl titles 71% Calculate Cost Per Use of jrnl titles 55% Compare Usage Stats w/other pkgs/titles 84% Compare Usage Stats w/other pkgs/titles 65% Compare Usage States w/other pkgs/titles 54% Calculate Cost Per Use of jrnl titles 83% Calculate Cost Per Use of jrnl titles 64% Record trial start/end dates 49% Record trial start/end dates 67% Evaluate title list/cov dates 63% Record administrative metadata 40% Record administrative metadata 62% Store license and/or link to 58% View Usage Stats of pkgs & jrnl titles
28. Tasks Making the Top 5 in All Systems View Usage Statistics for journal package and individual journal titles Compare Usage Statistics with other packages and/or titles Calculate Cost Per Use of individual journal titles in package
29. Top Tasks Performed Entirely INSIDE Systems Alma Sierra WMS 91% Activate all journal titles 48% Record library fund used to pay for the resource 69% Activate all journal titles 66% Record beginning and end dates of subscription 46% Record beginning and end dates of subscription 44% Record pkg details: full title list and coverage dates 54% Record the type of access (implementation) 39% Record vendor contact information 28% Record vendor contact information 54% Record library fund used to pay for the resource 39% Record number of users (implementation) 25% Record beginning and end dates of subscription 48% Record pkg details: full title list and coverage dates 39% Record the type of access (implementation) 25% Record license terms
30. Tasks Making the Top 5 in All Systems Record Beginning and End Dates of subscription
31. ERM Tasks Performed Either Partially or Entirely Outside Systems Task % Responses Viewing Usage Statistics 86% Calculating Cost Per Use 81% Comparing Usage Statistics 80% Evaluate Title List and Coverage Dates 74% Store License and/or Link to License 74%
32. Questions Remain WHY? Lack of system functionality? Functions available but need improvement? WHAT? What additional tools are being used? How are additional tools being used (and why)? TRUE FOR OTHER TYPES OF RESOURCES / AREAS OF ERM WORKFLOW?
33. Conclusions Complex process, still too daunting for any one software system Hints that ERM workflows still involve manual workarounds / patchwork of tools LSPs need further development
34. Questions? Learn More: Pre-pub version of article: http://bit.ly/findingthegapspreprint These slides: http://bit.ly/findingthegapsslides Our handout: http://bit.ly/findingthegapshandout jane.natches@tufts.edu emily.singley@bc.edu