Organizing the Evaluation of
Electronic Resources
Lenore England, Digital Resources Librarian
Li Fu, Digital Services Librarian
libresources@umuc.edu
ALCTS Webinar
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 – 2-3 PM, EDT
Hosted by ALCTS, the Association for Library
Collections & Technical Services
1
I. Introductions
Li Fu, Digital Services Librarian
Lenore England, Digital Resources Librarian
2
II. Objectives
•How to
organize
evaluation
process
• Complexities
of collection
development
management
• Solution –
ERM
Evaluation
Central Site
• Implemented
Quickly
• Diverse
Resources,
Tools, and
Staff
• Ensure quality
of Electronic
Resources
3
Objectives (cont.)
•
Other library possibilities!
4
III. UMUC and the
Library
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About UMUC
•
•
•
•
•
•
University System of Maryland
Worldwide
Non-Traditional Students
100 Bachelors and Masters Programs
Doctor of Management Programs
77% of Classes Online
Image: ©2011 UMUC. All rights reserved.
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•
•
•
•
UMUC Library
Almost Entirely Online
Resources, Services, Instruction
28 Staff – 19 Librarians, 9 Staff
Mission:
– Library and information literacy education
– Partnering with UMUC’s schools and
faculty
– Worldwide library resources and services
Image: ©2011 UMUC. All rights reserved.
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Library Services
•
•
•
•
•
24x7 Reference
Information Literacy Instruction
Online Collections
Document Delivery/ILL
Circulation of USMAI Consortium
Materials
• E-Reserves in the Online Classroom
Image: ©2011 UMUC. All rights reserved.
8
IV. Poll
Getting to know you - What type of
organization do you represent?
• University/Research Library
• College/Community College Library
• Special Library
• Public or K-12 Library
• Other
9
V. Small Solutions,
Big Results
10
What did we do to organize?
Tools
Electronic
Resources
ERM Staff
11
VI. Electronic
Resources
Evaluation Process
12
The Evaluation Period
• What is done?
– Well in advance
– Review and selection
– Continuation, addition, or cancellation
• All done for the next fiscal year’s budget
13
What can happen?
• Multifaceted
• Endless range of
electronic
resources and
tools
•Unwieldy…
• Preparation
• Review
• Making decisions
14
Process
Evaluation period
Spreadsheet
Meetings
Discussion notes
15
Process (cont.)
Tiered list
Main evaluation spreadsheet
ERM team: Trials, fact sheets,
pricing to Liaisons
Blog posting
16
Process (cont.)
Decisions
Budget
Tools
Library staff
17
VII. Solution: Implement
LibGuides
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Seeking a Solution
• Reviewed possible ERMS
– Commercial: EBSCONet ERM Essentials,
CONTENTdm, SharePoint, SpringShare
LibGuides
– Open Source: Access ERM (aka ERMes),
CUFTS, ERMS
– ERMS Comparison
– Solution found
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Solution: Springshare LibGuides
•
•
•
•
•
•
Designed to host subject guides
Familiarity among staff
Embedded web 2.0 features
Portal to resources, tools & staff
Easy to update and maintain
Interoperable with existing RIMS
20
Solution Implemented
• Tour of the LibGuides site
– ERM evaluation central site
– Template site URL
http://tinyurl.com/5s4ptzl
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ERM Evaluation Central Site
The UMUC library evaluation central home page
22
ERM Evaluation Central Site (cont.)
The UMUC library evaluation central add, upgrade, and drop list page
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ERM Evaluation Central Site (cont.)
The UMUC library evaluation central trials and fact sheets page
24
ERM Evaluation Central Site (cont.)
The UMUC library evaluation central liaison information page
25
ERM Evaluation Central Site (cont.)
The UMUC library evaluation central final decisions/budget page
26
VIII. Poll
Do you use LibGuides for any function
other than subject guides, if you have
LibGuides at your organization at all?
• Yes
• No
• Thinking about it
• Not applicable
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IX. Application to other
library areas
28
Other Application Possibilities
•
•
•
•
•
Cataloging
Acquisitions
Collection development
Subject Specialists
Beyond…
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X. Outcomes and future
development
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Outcomes
•
•
•
•
Streamline the process
Heavily used by library staff and liaisons
Positive feedback
Better understanding of ERM
31
Future Development
• Integrated with ERMS
• Content management
32
XI. Conclusions
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Conclusions
•
•
•
•
Quality and relevance of resources
Cost-effective solutions
Ready to implement
Multiple purposes and “out of the box”
thinking
• Easy to maintain
• Evolve over time
• Apply to other areas
34
Questions or comments?
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Thank you!
Lenore England
Li Fu
libresources@umuc.edu
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References
England, L., & Fu, L. (2011). Electronic resources evaluation
central: Using off the shelf software, Web 2.0 tools, and
LibGuides to manage an electronic resources evaluation
process. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 23(1),
30-42. doi:10.1080/1941126X.2011.551093
England, L., Fu, L., & Miller, S. (Speakers). (2011, April 1).
Checklist manifesto for electronic resources: Getting ready for
the fiscal year. ACRL 2011 Virtual Conference. [Webcast].
Philadelphia, PA: ACRL. Retrieved from
http://www.learningtimes.net/acrl/2011/day2-session6/
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