Collaborative Electronic Resource Management: From Acquisitions to Assessment

Electronic resource management is becoming a primary responsibility of library managers. This book approaches electronic resource management as a system affecting all library work, linking it to concepts of collaborative management and the assessment cycle. The author demonstrates how collection development, acquisitions, licensing, budgeting, and cataloging techniques; technological infrastructure; and user services for electronic resources fit into the new collaborative management that relies on learning more than control to respond to change. The techniques presented for managing electronic resources improves the library's service value through relationships between library professionals and with library customers. Engaging the librarian in a cycle of constant learning and assessment, the approach ultimately makes work lighter, relationships with colleagues and customers more productive, and library services more relevant to community needs.

Conger, a former librarian who is now a PhD student in organizational development at the Fielding Institute, approaches electronic resource management as a system affecting all aspects of library work, and links it to the concepts of collaborative management and the assessment cycle. She demonstrates how collection development and acquisitions techniques, technological infrastructure, and user services for electronic resources fit into collaborative management. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

JOAN E. CONGERreceived her BA from Smith College and her MLIS from the University of Texas, Austin. As a librarian she has coordinated electronic resource management, web development, reference, research instruction, cataloging, systems, acquisitions, assessment, and training in libraries large and small, academic and corporate. Through all of these learning experiences she become dedicated to the idea that every current library employee has the power, through collaborative effort, to successfully turn upheaval and uncertainty into extraordinary service. Preparing for this book, Joan began to find research supporting why many of her change efforts succeeded in spite of the kind pessimism of others. Through this research she discovered the field of Organization Development and is now a full-time PhD student in Organizational Development at the Fielding Institute. She hopes to give back to the library profession what she learns there.