Breaking It Down: Electronic Resource Workflow Documentation

Managing electronic resources is a fairly complex process faced by librarians with ever more frequency in today’s digital environment. In an effort to approach the possibility of purchasing an electronic resource manager (ERM), electronic resource workflow processes were investigated and documented. The life cycle of electronic resources takes a very different form than that of its print counterpart, and it can prove immensely useful to the library to examine these workflows. Such workflow documentation can offer the opportunity for analysis, exposure of problem areas, occurrences of overlap or duplication, and can lead to discussions amongst faculty and staff that are crucial to the smooth running of the institution. This talk will examine the methodology and framework used to document these workflows. It involves interviews with staff and faculty involved in these procedures, discussions with stakeholders at different levels of the electronic workflow, and clarification of the steps involved in these electronic workflows. Once the workflows have been documented, they will undergo analysis. This strategy can expose “gaps” in the procedure, indicate where the workflow can be streamlined, and encourage conversations within the library departments that can lead to new and more effective workflows