[Eril-l] Database management question

[Mandi Schwarz]

Hello!

We use the Sierra ERM from Innovative Interfaces. It integrates nicely with the rest of our ILS (which is also Sierra from III). We can store license information and display selected fields to the public; we can include title lists for full-text journal collections; and we can link orders and upload COUNTER JR1s to automatically calculate CPU. The resource records are not set up like traditional bib records but are much more flexible; we have developed a guideline for each field to ensure consistency. The fields are also fully searchable in the back end of the system. You can see our public interface here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/screens/erm_index.html and we use the PURLs to these records whenever we link from elsewhere (LibGuides, CMS, etc).

Every 3 months I export 3 fields from our list of unsuppressed resource records: direct URL; Title; and Description. This data goes in to a spreadsheet stored on a shared drive and Google Drive so we can quickly spin up a replacement list in HTML if needed.

And I second Athena's points about easy EZProxy changes (we are looking at a server migration in the next few months, and our ERM and ILS do not have this functionality) and frequent database name and URL changes.

Best,
Mandi

Mandi Schwarz
Library Assistant - Electronic Resources
University of Northern British Columbia
250-960-6455; Mandi.Schwarz at unbc.ca



From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Athena Hoeppner
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2016 12:11 PM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Database management question

Hi,

At UCF over the past 15 years we've used all the methods you list. ;-)  We abandoned MetaLib years ago in favor of a home-grown systems. We recently switched from that to LibGuides last year - the programmer who coded the in-house system was long gone and the library switched to WordPress. We also catalog our databases.  We've experimented with hosting a back up database list on Delicious.

Lessons learned from all these lists:

  *   Use one location as your master list and use PURLs so you only have one location to maintain URLs.. We currently use LibGuides Friendly-URLs. The Friendly URLs are then used in our 856 fields and on the research guides - everywhere we want to link to the database.
  *   Use a system that lets you quickly change or turn off EZproxy or other authentication.
  *   Maintain a spreadsheet of database titles,  native URLs, and PURLs. We learned the hard way that not all systems let you output such a sheet. I'm considering making a publicly viewable Google Sheet of this info.
  *   Expect to have to keep changing database titles. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, GALE! I recommend keeping the same PURL or Friendly URL for the new title (Rename the old entry to the new title, create a new entry for the old title and link it to the Friendly URL).
All the best,
Athena

Athena Hoeppner
athena at mail.ucf.edu<mailto:athena at mail.ucf.edu>
Electronic Resources Librarian
University of Central Florida
407-823-5049
________________________________
From: Eril-l [eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] on behalf of Montgomery, Kathrine E [kmontgom at tulane.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2016 1:45 PM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org<mailto:eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>
Subject: [Eril-l] Database management question
Hi everyone,

We're looking into changing how we manage our databases, including the frontend ability to search for a database, sort databases by subject area/topic and create a database A-Z list.  We're currently using ExLibris' MetaLib.

The solutions I've found so far include using LibGuides or creating a home grown database, so I was wondering if anyone has any other products or solutions that are working for you.

And a follow-up question: Are you cataloging your databases directly in your catalog, importing records into your catalog from another system or not adding database records to your catalog at all?

Thanks for the help,
Kathrine

Kathrine Montgomery
Head of Acquisitions and ERM
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
Tulane University
7001 Freret St
New Orleans, LA 70118
Ph:  (504) 865-5686
Fax: (504) 862-8556
kmontgom at tulane.edu<mailto:kmontgom at tulane.edu>

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