Page 159 - DLIS007_LIBRARY AUTOMATION

Library Automation

Notes

Task Distinguish between sorting and shelving.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
8. …………………… refers to the application of technology to previously manual activities
performed by library staff.
9. Process automation in the library context usually refers to a strategy designed to remove
the …………………… handling burden from human beings and to pass this burden to
automated systems of various sorts.

10. It is worth making the observation that, even with the addition of sorting, we still have
the final …………………… step for the staff to complete before the items arrive back on
the shelves.

11. Library items are transported from the location where they are dropped by the borrowers
to a …………………… – where they will be processed.
12. …………………… present a number of challenges to the traditional library operations
and workflow that must be addressed in order to provide smooth management.

8.4 Electronic Resource Management

In this section we will addresses electronic resource management from the perspectives of
planning, policy, and workflow issues experienced by libraries. Many libraries attempt to transfer
and incorporate the print workflow onto electronic resource management. The result is a feeling
of chaos and lack of control. Electronic resource management (ERM) is the practices and software
systems used by libraries to keep track of important information about electronic information
resources, especially internet-based resources such as electronic journals, databases, and electronic
books. The development of ERM became necessary in the early 2000s as it became clear that
traditional library catalogues and integrated library systems were not designed to handle
metadata for resources as mutable as many online products are.
An overarching theme with electronic resource management is the rapid growth of electronic
resources. Because of this growth libraries are experiencing issues related to time management,
staffing, and the time-honoured task of deliberating the set-up of logical workflow systems for
such resources. Unlike the traditional library workflow of ordering and paying for print resources,
cataloguing those items, and processing them for the shelves – a workflow in which the different
library units know their roles and responsibilities – most libraries consolidate all things electronic
such as A-Z title lists, federated search engines, e-journals, abstract-and-indexing databases,
dark archives and electronic resource management tools, and allow an electronic resources
librarian to handle most, if not all, responsibilities from pre-order activities to access set-up and
maintenance.
Electronic resource management may be defined in various ways. The definition may be as
narrow as an A-to-Z list of serial titles, a focus on an approach to budget in various ways. The
definition may be as narrow as an A-to-Z list of serial titles, a focus on an approach to budget
management, or a broader concept like a content management system to create Web pages,
provide administrative functions, and track license agreements.

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