Organizers: Robb Waltner, Teresa Abaid, Rita Cauce, & Alice Eng
Usability of ERMS
Is a unified product better than several that do aspects well? Maybe we are trying to do too much with our data? Theoretically the same vendor products should talk to each other, but they don’t.
Ex Libris is folding in the ERMS tools into their new ILS. Interesting.
ERM is an evolving thing. You’ll always wish that there was more to your system. (Too true.)
Usefulness of Web-Scale Discovery
Some of the discovery layers don’t talk to the underlying databases or ILS very well. In many cases, the instruction librarians refuse to show it to users. They forget that the whole point of having these tools is so we don’t have to teach the users how to use them.
One institution did a wholesale replacement of the OPAC with the discovery tool, and they are now being invited to more classes and have a great deal of excitement about it around the campus.
Reality of Open Access
Some OA publishers are seeing huge increases in submissions from authors. Not the story that has been told in the past, but good to hear.
Librarians should be advocating for faculty to retain their own copyright, which is a good argument for OA. We can also be a resource for faculty who are creating content that can’t be contained by traditional publishing.
Integrating SERU
One publisher was willing to use it in lieu of not having a license at all.
Librarians need to keep asking for it to keep it in the minds of publishers and vendors. Look for the vendors in the registry.
Lawyers want to protect the institution. It’s what they do. Educate them about the opportunities and the unnecessary expense wasted on license negotiations for low risk items.
One limitation of SERU is that it references US law and terms.
