Reflection on ERM systems by Amanda Youngs

Reflection on ERM systems

      Reflecting on Wednesday’s class will be a little difficult for me since I and Janetta gave a presentation that day. However, I thought the online video and PowerPoint by Dawn Hale Head of Technical Services at the Sheridan Libraries, had some very interesting information that I hadn’t considered. Previous to ERM systems, librarians at her library organized their information with cabinets for license agreements, Excel spreadsheets, Email folders and sticky notes. Clearly, this is not the most efficient way of organizing information. This is why ERM systems were invented; librarians needed a more effective way of handling information about electronic material. However as we know from the presentation given by myself and Janetta that ERM systems did not cure everything. What I hadn’t considered were the issues with publisher updates for the ERM systems. Publishers/Vendors don’t always have the most accurate data or they don’t publish their metadata on a timely schedule. This is why I think it would be important that someone with a master’s degree in librarianship and knowledge of cataloging be hired by publishers and vendors. Google, now hires librarians to help organize their information, it is time that publishers and vendors do the same. 

You can find the video here http://www.potomactechlibrarians.org/2012meeting