The Serial Nature of Managing E-Books

While ERMes was originally designed primarily for managing aggregate databases, I have been using it to track our e-reference books and my colleague, Jen Holman has entered journal package information in ERMes.

Last week, I attended the Library Technology Conference (#LibTech2010) and one of the many great sessions I attended was “E-Book Management – It Sounds Serial!” by Carolyn J. Deluca and Dani L. Roach from University of St. Thomas.

I was buoyed to learn that they too track e-book titles in their ERM due to the serial nature of managing renewal/access fees, access URLs/problems, licensing terms, etc.

Now I know that managing e-resources like being in a fun house, but that Managing e-books is like caring for creatures on the Island of Doctor Moreau!

A Place for ERMes Users

If you use or are interested in ERMes and would like to converse with other users, there is a Google Group just for you!

http://groups.google.com/group/ermeserm

This group is a forum for user-to-user interaction be it theoretical discussions about e-resource management or practical questions about data entry in ERMes.

ERMes Receives Coutts Award for Innovation in Electronic Resources Management

William and I are extremely honored and excited to share the news that ERMes has received the 2010 Coutts Award for Innovation in Electronic Resource Management!

Determined by the Collection Management and Development Section (CMDS) of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), this award “recognizes significant and innovative contributions to electronic collections management and development practice.”  Here’s the official press release.

We will invest the award funds right back into ERMes with me continuing to improve user documentation and the interface while William plans to seek the programming expertise/knowledge necessary to enhance functionality.

Though I believe passionately in librarians’ ability to change the world of e-resource management, ERMes would never have grown to be a little ERM that could without librarians’ willingness to use it, enhance it, and tell us your ERM dreams.

So thank you ERMes users, we are so grateful for all 35 of you!