Electronic Resource Management News - Verde Project Underway!

Centrally licensed electronic resources for the Harvard Library are currently managed through the OIS-developed Harvard ERM (Electronic Resource Management) System.  This system manages the acquisition and licensing of electronic resources offered through the E-Research portal. This system has provided many benefits, including streamlining processing for university-wide electronic resources, for the past 4 years. The Harvard ERM system no longer meets the current needs for central acquisition and licensing activities.  In addition, many units are also maintaining local systems for tracking acquisitions and licensing activities.

The University Library Council reviewed a list of proposed OIS development projects for 2008 at their November meeting.  A project to evaluate/implement the new electronic resource management system, the Ex Libris product Verde, or to enhance the current Harvard ERM to allow data management beyond OIS was approved (2008 ULC #5 – ERM Financial Reporting Enhancement/Verde implementation).

OIS has begun the project to evaluate and implement Verde.  This system provides a method to manage all central and unit e-resource information (acquisitions, trial, cost, access, license, and administrative data). Verde can be integrated with Aleph and SFX (Find it @ Harvard).  From within Aleph and SFX, users can access e-resource information from Verde.   From within Verde, acquisitions & bibliographic data from Aleph and SFX link can be easily accessed.

The Verde project has been scheduled in three phases.  Major milestones are listed below.

Phase 1 - OIS Product Evaluation (mid-March - mid-April)

• Test server installation. (complete)
• Configuration. (in process)
• Workflow testing. (in process)
• Inter-operability testing. (in process)
• Finalize library team membership. (in process)

Phase 2 - Library Team Product Evaluation (mid-April - end of May)

• Configuration review.
• Workflow testing.

Phase 3 - Implementation (June)

• Production server installation.
• Configuration.
• Create local documentation/best practices.
• Convert Harvard ERM data.
• Staff training.
• Setup Verde logins.

Project updates will be distributed via hulinfo as project phases are completed.  If it is determined that Verde will not meet current needs, a project to enhance the current Harvard ERM will be scheduled.

Please contact Laura Morse with any questions regarding the project.

Thank you - Laura

Laura Morse
Assistant Library Systems Manager
Office for Information Systems