Susan Davis

Implementing a Serial Work in an Electronic Resources Management System

SUMMARY This session describes one use of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) concept of work for serials in an electronic resource management system, E-Matrix, developed at the North Carolina State University Libraries. Kristin Antelman talked about how the NCSU libraries use the hierarchical concepts of FRBR to create a more user-centered approach for public display of electronic resources as well as improved management tools for staff.

Core competencies for print serials librarians

Members of the NASIG Core Competencies Task Force presented their draft “Core Competencies for Print Serials Librarians,” then led a discussion of the document with NASIG conference attendees. The presentation included a brief history of the core competencies and a description of the methodology the Task Force used to conduct the research upon which the draft “Core Competencies for Print Serials Librarians” is based. Discussion with the audience centered on recommendations for improvements to the draft, including the organization of the document, additional coverage of topics such as budgeting, language competencies, the impact of print repositories, and preservation.

Climbing the Mountain: Choosing the Best Path for Serials Record Management

Summary More and more libraries are choosing to load vendor-supplied bibliographic records for electronic resources in order to better manage the constant fluctuation of titles, holdings and URLs. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology decided to retain a single record approach for their serial record management. The University of Minnesota made the switch to separate records. Presenters from these libraries talked about the re-evaluation and decision making process and its impact on workflow and workload. Each library chose a somewhat different path toward the same goal to provide the most positive experience for the user.

How I learned to stop worrying and give up journal check-in

SUMMARY This workshop addressed the experiences at the University of Nevada, Reno, as they discontinued check-in for print journals. The presenters reviewed the circumstances that led to this decision, such as the reduced number of print subscriptions and the increasing number of electronic journals in the collection. The Libraries also stopped binding the majority of their journals, and claiming is based more on shelf reviews than check-in records. Nearly a year after implementing this decision, the presenters deem it a success.

The Swets Trap: Understanding the Past to Create the Future

Anyone who’s taken a history class has probably been told that in order to understand the future, you have to understand the past. Recently, the past has reared its ugly head in the guise of the recent bankruptcy of Swets Information Services B.V. in September 2014. You would pretty much have to live under a rock to miss the commotion across the listservs, emails, and news publications related to this recent serials crisis. Many of us have paused in our day-to-day operations to ponder what this might mean for the future of serials. Although this editorial focuses specifically on the Swets event, the special issue as a whole explores other areas challenging the serials landscape from innovations in the publishing world to evolved concepts of description through linked data or knowledgebase data to questions about acquisitions practices for journal packages. All of the articles included in this issue indicate that a time of reflection is upon us as a discipline. With these challenges, opportunities to innovate and repurpose our skills will come—if we are willing. More invited articles focusing on the “future of serials” will be included in the next issue of Serials Review. My thanks go out to Beth Ashmore, Jill Grogg, and Susan Davis for their contributions to this editorial. Please consider contributing your opinion for a future editorial about this latest saga to the serials crisis or any other challenges and opportunities that you see for the future of serials.

Navigating Your Way through the E-journal Rapids

Several members of the e-journal supply chain came together to discuss their roles in managing electronic resources. The tasks of managing print subscriptions were compared and contrasted with the tasks now required to manage electronic subscriptions. The complex nature of managing electronic resources and the impact that it has had on the workflows of all parties involved were shared.

Racing to the Crossroads of Scholarly Communication: But Who are We Leaving Behind?

ABSTRACT Hathcock talked about applying the core values of librarianship to the scholarly communication system. She explained how these values are interconnected and linked through the concept of “intersectionality.” She also reminded the audience that Open Access does not necessarily mean globally accessible. It is important for librarians involved in the scholarly communication lifecycle to consider those who may be left behind in the race to the scholarly communication crossroads.

ER Sleuths are on the Case: Best Practices for E-Resource Acquisitions

ABSTRACT This conference report describes a discussion about e-resources acquisitions work from the perspectives of a continuing resources acquisitions librarian, an electronic resources librarian, and a subscription agent. Topics addressed include the use of ticketing systems to track e-resources problems, the role of the subscription agent in the e-resources lifecycle, and best practices for communication in e-resources workflows. The presenters used real life situations as case studies to share tips, tricks, successes, and pain points in the e-resource lifecycle. They emphasized setting realistic expectations and employing effective communication strategies to solve e-resource cases with more success and less stress.

The Power of “Open”

ABSTRACT In a vision session at the 31st NASIG Annual Conference, Heather Joseph provided an assessment of the Open Access movement addressing how far it has come since its inception, how well it has met its original goals, what has and has not worked well, and what is not happening at all. She talked about the importance of open (in all senses—open access, open education, and open data) as a public good, and shared feedback from a recent strategic review of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition and the Open Access movement. Joseph also explored the implications of using open as an enabling strategy for researchers, scholarly publishers, policymakers, and the larger academic community, and emphasized the importance of deliberately considering what outcomes open can help each community achieve—rather than thinking about open as an end to itself.

Wrangling Cats: A Case Study of a Library Consortium Migration

The Orbis Cascade Alliance is a consortium of thirty-seven public and private academic institutions in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In January 2012, the Alliance began a two-year process of migrating all thirty-seven institutions to a single, shared integrated library system. The speaker describes the migration from the perspective of a large academic library that was in the first of four migration cohorts. Topics covered include the motivations for migrating to Alma/Primo as a consortium, the implementation process, key post-migration wins, lessons learned, and migration tips and tricks.