Implementing ERMes: Part 1

As I mentioned in my last post, I am excited to explore the applicability of ERMes as an e-resource management system at the University of Connecticut. While I have yet to determine if ERMes is the right ERM for the long-term, I am planning an immediate implementation of ERMes because:

1. UConn Libraries’ existing home-grown ERM is primarily used to generate an A-Z list and subject pages.
2. The existing ERM does not have reports and the reports in ERMes are integral to my work!
3. Though UConn has a great ITS team and a programmer to support the existing ERM, I do not have the skills to quickly customize it on my own.
4. The existing ERM does not include cost information, but does include nearly all of the data entry fields listed in the DLF ERM Initiative’s Electronic Resource Management System Data. Structure. This means that the system is quite complex and includes more unused fields than used fields.
5. I need to quickly gain an understanding of UConn’s e-resource collection and using a system I already know will save time.
6. If ERMes is not appropriate as a long-term ERM, I will have all the e-resource data in one place which will make it much easier to migrate to another ERM.

With that said, I will be documenting my implementation process with hopes that doing so will help other users!

The following installment is short, but shows how I have a back-up instance of ERMes, and how I customize the Preliminary Information tables for Access and Source.

The Access table is intended identifies which campuses, locations, or groups that have access to an e-resource while the Source table identifies who is paying subscription and purchase fees. But of course, because it is ERMes, these fields can be customized and changed to match your needs!

Implementing ERMes Video: Part 1

 

Note: For more detailed instructions and information about implementing ERMes, please see the instructions and release notes on the ERMes website.

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.

Instructions> ERMes v. 2009.05

Basic instructions for ERMes v. 2009.05 are now available on the ERMes website. As with most documents, I could keep writing for a long time; however, I also think that it is in the best interest of ERMes users for me to post what we have and consider the instructions – like ERMes – a work in progress.

I plan to continue adding text, illustrations, and short video demos as I am able. I know that Norma is also working to include a video demonstration to support her instructions for creating COUNTER reports in ERMes.

Please feel free to…

• Let me know what additional documentation you want/need; so, that I can prioritize by demand.
• Download the MS Word version of the instructions, add to or edit them, and then send your revisions to me so that I can incorporate them into the ‘master’ version.

Thanks!

New Release > ERMes v. 2009.05

I’m very excited to share the good news that the latest release of ERMes (v. 2009.05) is now available!

Here is what William Doering has to say about this new and greatly improved version:

I apologize for not getting out a new release of ERMes (yes we now have a name) earlier.  But you won’t be disappointed.  This release is a total rewrite of the ERM which includes improved logic, a new interface, and includes new functionality available in Access 2007 (yes, you now have to use Access 2007 to use ERMes).

This release also includes COUNTER functionality and additional ASP code and instructions for creating an A-Z list of databases just in case your Metalib or Libdata instance goes down which it did for us.

This release would not have been possible without the assistance of Norma Dowell from Iowa State University and Jen Holman from UW-L who provided substantial code.  I guess this makes ERMes open source.  If you want to contribute code, please let me know before you start, as we need to coordinate sole access to the Access database code so multiple people aren’t changes things which would need to get reconciled and may in fact conflict.

I will get new instructions to ERMes web site shortly.

Check out the ERMes web site for the new download and migration tips.

Say Cheese ERMes

So what does ERMes look like?

Here are a few screen captures from the upcoming release.

ERMes' switchboard; the first thing you see.

Example screen for a resource.

Another example of a resource info screen.

Example problem log entry for tracking e-resource access, content, and other errors.

Reports

This I Believe

On a good day, the idea of managing e-resources in the neat tidy work flows analogous to buying books is hilarious as every time I think I’ve grasped what it is I’m managing,  I turn around and realize that my plan was based on looking at a reflection of our e-resource collection in a fun house mirror.

While, I don’t have the superpowers to morph e-resources into matching entities for easier wrangling, I do have an amazing colleague, William Doering, who was able to turn my blueprint of a “database of databases” into ERMes, an open source ERM tool.

I believe that librarians are fiercely talented folks that are good at sharing and have the ability to change the world, at least the world of e-resource management.  I believe that having the right tools to do our jobs will help us survive the fun house, and that if the people who manage e-resources create the ERM, then we’ll end up with a powerful tool that does exactly what we need and doesn’t cost five figures to purchase + annual maintenance fees.

Please share your ideas about e-resource management and ERMes, and then let’s change the world, or at least conquer the fun house.