| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Electronic Resource Management (“ERM”) Systems have developed quickly-especially since the release in 2004 of the report of the Digital Library Federation's Electronic Resource Management Initiative (“ERMI”). Several ILS and other vendors have now developed systems based on the “ERMI Specifications” and sold them to some 300 libraries worldwide. While these specifications provide a firm basis for current systems, early experience points to additional needs or requirements for future development. A second phase of ERMI will address some of these needs, including professional training of librarians on “mapping” license terms to the ERMI data dictionary, collaboration with other organizations on refining standards for communicating license terms, and efforts to automate usage data gathering through a protocol called SUSHI (for “Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative.”) Additional issues or areas needing development include greater integration with Integrated Library Systems, standards for and inclusion of more detailed coverage data, integration between link resolvers and ERMs, and automation of administrative tasks. |
