Maximizing Electronic Resources Management in Libraries: Applying Business Process Management. By Lenore A. England and Stephen D. Miller. Amsterdam: Chandos, 2016. 139p. $68.00 softcover (ISBN 978-1-84334-747-7); $68.00 e-book (ISBN 978-1-78063-428-9).
One of the themes emphasized throughout Maximizing Electronic Resources Management in Libraries is that Electronic Resource Management (ERM) is a form of knowledge work that is complex, patchworked and often does not lend itself to routine. Expertise in the subject is gained over time and through the experience of grappling with different issues and solving a variety of problems. The other theme is effective organization of electronic resources is critical to the success of libraries and to the institutions of which they are a part (1, 9).
These concepts may not seem like breaking news, but it is nice to see them in print—clear and unambiguous. More importantly, the concepts are easy to remember the next time one encounters a person who believes that everything on the Internet is free, credible, and easy to find. Or an administrator who does not understand why library costs are ever increasing when there is so much free stuff available for the taking, no work needed. Maybe in reply to the question, “What does an E-Resources Librarian do?” this reviewer will channel the words of England and Miller. Both have established records of scholarship and creative leadership in ERM and related subjects. England received the 2012 Association of Library Collections and Technical Services/Collection Management Section Coutts Award for Innovation in ERM.
The authors describe their initial situation as that of a small staff struggling with an overload of work at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and with a need to manage it before it became overwhelming. Determined to develop a system focused on users’ needs, they began to distill down the best of the proven management theories to use with ERM work, and ultimately chose to apply business process management (BPM) principles. The authors both come from a business management background and each holds an MBA degree and an MS in Library Science. This background is likely what influenced them to consider applying management theories to ERM in libraries and to then offer that idea to libraries of all types and sizes.
The book begins with a brief overview of ERM and what it does. The discussion of ERM as a form of knowledge work that is vital to the infrastructure of libraries and institutions is expanded upon. Care is taken to not only provide an operational point of view, but also the perspective of library users with continuously evolving expectations. However, the focus of the book is not on the various ERM systems that are available and are likely to be set up differently for each library, but on the organizational tools that BPM can offer. The idea is to think outside of ERM systems to provide what the user wants: simple access to needed information sources in a way that is familiar and functional.
The authors explain that workflow analysis is a critical component of BPM. England and Miller emphasize that organization is critical to successful ERM. Within the constantly changing environment for electronic resources, lack of an organized structure may cause staff to replicate work, develop strategies that do not coordinate efficiently and unintentionally create workflow silos that suppress creativity and innovative thinking. Organizational changes will affect areas such as collection development, acquisitions, training needs and technical requirements, so it is important to maintain a wide view when examining workflows and implementing changes (23). In addition to structural analysis and reorganization, mapping ERM personnel, systems, and tools to the organizational structure provides an understanding of where staff and tools are distributed in the workflow process: who is responsible for each functional area and what tools are utilized (24). The text includes graphics that illustrate the distinct components and issues of ERM, as well as a clear example of mapping an ERM organizational structure to related workflows.
The authors then discuss the history and evolution of BPM and the various management theories of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At this point the reader might be tempted to skip ahead, but fear not. The review is interesting; traveling from the Efficiency Movement of the late 1800s, stopping off at Henry Ford’s system of assembly line Mass Production, and then briefly examining how the contributions of W. Edwards Deming, the Japanese Production System, TQM, Lean Production and Six Sigma led to the development of BPM as a discipline. The authors stress that it is “important to understand the background and development of these systems as they relate to developing and improving the quality of business processes in order to better achieve organizational goals. BPM and improvement is . . . fundamentally intertwined and critical to all each [sic] of these management methods” (42–43). The overview of management theories gives a sense of history and context to the reader and makes it clear that England and Miller have built their “approach to the application of BPM to ERM on the shoulders of the giants of management theories and principles” (7).
Chapter 5 provides an overview of the use of BPM within libraries in general before specifically discussing the application of BPM to ERM. The authors assert that although examples of applying BPM to other areas of library work exist, the actual practice of applying BPM to ERM itself has not previously been done. Detailed descriptions and images are provided to explain the stages (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) of the BPM process. England and Miller formulate a plan to extend the management of ERM processes across the university organization to other departments that purchase electronic resources. They describe this as “creating a consortium within the university” (82) and theorize that coordinating with other departments will result in a reduction of costs in terms of pricing and maintenance while leveraging the library’s expanded knowledge of license agreements and procurement processes and procedures.
Attention is given to the concepts of systems thinking, process mapping, and their implications for ERM. Understanding and accounting for the complex and inter-related processes that constitute ERM, and mapping out each workflow into its constituent parts leads to the ability to visualize the components and the relationships between them. This in turn leads to the ability to further envisage and creatively design future desired outcomes (i.e., greater efficiencies, effectiveness, and flexibility in the face of continuous change). Many techniques for capturing workflows are presented and different types of charts and documentation are shown as examples.
The final chapters provide additional BPM approaches that can be applied to ERM and that offer ERM librarians different and innovative ways to think about their work and the processes and systems that they manage. These areas are considered to have potential for future exploration within the field of ERM. Other aspects were discussed and analyzed, such as the financial benefits of applying BPM to ERM, ways in which BPM ideas can be applied to specific ERM processes, and the future of BPM to ERM.
It is obvious that careful consideration was given to providing ERM librarians with a practical skillset and a clear way to apply BPM principles to ERM in a variety of libraries. The book is organized in a methodical manner that allows the reader to move easily from one concept to the next. Each chapter begins with an abstract and keywords, is subdivided into well-defined sections, and ends with extensive references. Regretfully, the book appears to have not received careful copy-editing. Errors and typos occur frequently enough to disrupt the flow of reading and sometimes obscure the authors’ intended meaning. While this does not detract from the value of the content, it does affect readability. Despite this drawback, Maximizing Electronic Resources Management in Libraries offers solid ideas for ERM librarians who are looking for a way to organize ERM systems and processes in any size or type of library.—Marie Seymour-Green (seymour@udel.edu), University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware