We’re trying to document our ERM (e-resources management) procedures more rigorously, to help make it easier for multiple library staff to get involved in maintaining our e-journals service, and to guard against problems if the Electronic Resources Librarian (that’s me!) were to leave. Succession planning.
Just to give an idea of the complexity of the job, here’s one of the first flowcharts we’ve produced, which deals only with the authentication aspect of ERM, for one of several authentication processes, for a tiny subset of e-journals. It’ll be one of many diagrams we need to document all the permutations of ERM.
As it happens, it relates to LibResProxy, an HTTP proxy application (based on CGIProxy) which we use as a ‘tool of last resort’ for providing off-campus access to certain IP-protected library e-resources, where no other method of off-campus authentication (Athens, UK Federation, form capture, etc.) exists.
We’re using MS Visio to create the flowcharts, and storing them (as native .vsd files for download) in Google Docs.
