The joke she tells is a familiar one: “Managing e-resources is like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. Right when you think you’ve got it pegged—splat.”

However, as e-resources continue to balloon in both size and scope, giving rise to a multitude of options, opportunities, and difficulties, libraries are scrambling to adjust their workflows and procurement models to accommodate their ever-growing collection of e-resources. Many libraries are now investing in a dedicated electronic resources librarian, whose sole job is to manage electronic...

However, don’t let this alarm you. Although an appreciation and interest in technology are always helpful for an e-resources librarian, there is no need for you to transform yourself into an IT expert. By mastering just a few basic concepts, you will be able to handle the majority of the technical aspects required by e-resource work.

As you go over historical renewals and budgets in your new position, you will begin to recognize different patterns and habits of your predecessors. Especially if you are in a newly created position, you may realize that no one has added or cancelled anything for years. With this in mind, don’t be afraid to do something different than your predecessors regarding acquisitions workflows. The...

While regular resource maintenance, such as the access checks we describe later in this chapter, can help prevent or mitigate access issues, electronic resources, like all computer-based technologies, cannot function perfectly 100 percent of the time. Patrons can and will encounter access issues, and it often falls to the e-resources librarian to figure out why. Troubleshooting, therefore, is an...

Today, electronic resources make up one of the biggest pieces in libraries’ collection assessment and development strategies. In this chapter, we discuss the ways in which e-resources are evaluated quantitatively (we have saved qualitative assessment for Chapter 8) and address ways that libraries construct compelling narratives around resources to educate others about their value and use.

The idea of a trial period is not unfamiliar to libraries. If you have worked any type of library job—from page to paraprofessional to full-fledged librarian—you probably underwent a three- or six-month performance review to decide how well you fit with the work, staff, and library culture. However, the path from initial hire to successful review is often vague. Other than a few human...

Throughout these discussions, a similar theme has emerged. As respondents to Hogarth’s survey said, many people wish for more “instruction on time management, leadership, and work-life balance” to help them deal with the ongoing deluge of e-resource tasks (Hogarth, 2017: 91). In this chapter, we tackle just that, with a specific focus on effective goal setting, time-management...

Regardless of your library’s size, budget, or technical capabilities, resources and support systems are available to help you make the most of your e-resources. In this chapter, we explore the various places you can turn to for answers and advice, including support centers, professional groups, Listservs, and more. We hope the following list, while not exhaustive, serves as a good starting...

The following are terms or clauses that are generally included in most license agreements. This list is by no means comprehensive, and you do not need to add any missing clauses to the license you are reviewing unless you would like to do so. We have divided them into three sections: Basics, Deal Breakers (State Law or Local Policy Requirements), and Desired Terms. We encourage you to rearrange...

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Holly Talbott is the electronic resources and licensing librarian at the University of Arizona and was previously the electronic resources librarian at Lasell College and e-serials specialist at the University of Texas at Arlington.

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