Well, I've got experience of both III's ERM and SerialsSolutions's 360
Resource Manager, and of setting up and exploiting both of them for
local use.  Here are my thoughts.

Ease of use.  Both very good.  III's ERM is integrated into the LMS and
the OPAC, etc so clearly that has an edge over a separate system.  And
if you don't use their CASE knowledge base you need to create and
maintain your own - OK if you can get to grips with uploading csv files
and have somewhere to store back copies.

Maintaining titles and databases.  Both good, although SerialsSolutions
could score less because it takes 24 hours to effect any changes, more
if you use their MARC records service and/or the title needs to be added
to their knowledge base.

Ability to note and annotate.  Both about the same.  III has the ability
to add notes into the OPAC; SerialsSolutions can do this with MARC
records.

Ability to set up staff alerts.  III is slightly better as they can be
more easily configured at any level, database, order, title.  But
SerialsSolutions 360 Resource Manager can do lots of good things as
well.

Ability to add new content.  III scores slightly higher as brief records
can be uploaded into the OPAC instantly.  With SerialsSolutions you have
to wait 14 or 28 days for MARC record updates to happen, or even longer
if a title is not yet in their knowledge base.

I can see the pros and cons of both solutions.  I quite like the freedom
of being able to be in control of your own knowledge base - but can see
the pitfalls and staff time of having to maintain it.  But it is also
good to have a back-up like the SerialsSolutions support center who
might be able to fix things you couldn't yourself.

I do think it depends on what else you have in place - for example, when
I used III's solution we purchased it along with a suite of other
products (proxy server, link resolver) all linked to the LMS.  Now with
SerialsSolutions we have a link resolver and cross search alongside it
(which are very good) but a separate proxy solution.

Louise

Louise Cole
Senior Information Advisor (Collections)
Nightingale Centre, Kingston Hill Campus
Kingston University
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey
KT2 7LB

Email louise.cole@kingston.ac.uk
Telephone 020 8417 5383
Fax 020 8417 5312

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Janice Ouellette
Sent: 06 October 2008 15:54
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] ERM software question

Hi all,
By all means, please share comments to this list! I have been asked to
'investigate' this same question and I don't want to 're-invent the
wheel!'
Jan

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of John Rasel
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 10:02 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] ERM software question

Hello folks,

I have been asked to evaluate a few of the Electronic resource
management tools currently on the market for potential use in our
library.  So far, I've looked at SerialsSolutions and their pile of 360
options, Ebsco's A-Z, and III's ERM.

What I would really like are the opinions of these products from any
users who subscribe to this listserv.  What is your overall impression
of the software?  Is there anything you wish it did but can't?  Were
there any problems after purchase (for example, were you unable to do
something with the product you were told you could?)  Are there any
features you absolutely love about them?

We would really love to be able to do are things like an overlap
analysis of our serials, whether they are in microform, print, or
electronically.  So far, Serials Solutions is the only one to claim that
such a feature is possible.

If those of you with ERM software would be willing, I would greatly
appreciate the opinions of those library workers who actually use these
tools, as opposed to taking the word of a vendor straightaway.

My thanks,

John

John T. Rasel
Graduate Programs Librarian
Capital University
1 College and Main

Columbus, OH  43209-2394
Phone: (614) 236-6352

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