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
   

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2. What we are going to cover
    Why we did the study
    What we did - methodology
    What we learned – our findings
   

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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…
   

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4. ERM forms still used at an Alma school
   

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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?”
   

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6. What we did:
   Sent a survey to academic libraries that had already
   implemented new systems
   

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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.
   

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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
   

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9. Developing the survey questions
   Wanted to know:
   What ERM tasks are performed in LSPs?
   What ERM tasks are performed outside LSPs?
   

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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??
    

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11. TERMS to the rescue
    https://library.hud.ac.uk/blogs/terms/
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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?”
    

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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
    

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17. 2. Acquiring and implementing a journal
    package
    “When licensing and implementing a journal package,
    where do you perform the following tasks?”
    

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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)
    

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19. 3. Assessing a journal package for
    renewal
    “When determining whether to renew a journal package,
    where do you perform the following tasks?”
    

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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
    

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21. The Findings
    Responses
    Alma 43%
    Sierra 40%
    WMS 16%
    299 librarians took the survey:
    

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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%
    

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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%
    

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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%
    

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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%
    

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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%
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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30. Tasks Making the Top 5 in All
    Systems
    Record Beginning and End Dates of
    subscription
    

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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%
    

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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?
    

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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
    

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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
    

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