Electronic Journal Management Systems: Experiences from the Field

Citation

Wolfe, J.A. (2007), "Electronic Journal Management Systems: Experiences from the Field", Collection Building, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 95-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604950710761706

Gary Ives' anthology on electronic journal management addresses multiple problems, challenges, and solutions within the exploding world of electronic resources. Ives has served on various resource sharing and collection development committees, including the Greater Western Library Alliance and the American Library Association. He is currently serving as a member of the ALA SHARES Licensing and Legislation Committee.

Ives' anthology draws together 12 articles written by librarians with expertise in the implementation of electronic management systems. They provide detailed accounts concerning the different paths their libraries have selected in the attempt to harness the evolving nature of electronic resource collections. The articles include case studies and overviews of the use of extensive Excel spreadsheets, “home‐grown” databases, and the problematic transition to vendor‐provided electronic management systems. The authors discuss limitations of the “home‐grown” systems and the advantages provided by laying the foundation for purchasing a vendor‐provided system. The contributors also discuss the challenges that electronic resources introduce. These challenges include tracking changes, 24/7 access, meeting the user's needs, system functional requirements, pricing models, consortial needs, linking options, licensing peculiarities and the commitment of resources. The attempt to meet these challenges is a common theme throughout the anthology.

The information contained in this text is valuable to librarians at all stages of the implementation of an electronic resource management system. Overviews and comparisons of several vendors provide interesting as well as informative insights into the selection process. Discussions of the advantages and problems that arise during implementation of a purchased system will also be of value for those librarians still in the decision‐making process.

Many of the articles include references or footnotes that provide directions for further readings in the area of electronic resource management. The author has included an index that combines all the articles and is very helpful for those who want to skim for specific information within the book. This collection would be an excellent addition to academic, public or special libraries that are struggling with the evolving nature of electronic collections.