Electronic resource management (ERM) in libraries of management institutes in India

This paper aims to examine and analyse the status and differences in different components of e-resources management of business/management school libraries in India. It also examines the factors responsible for criteria/methods used in the life cycle of e-resources and e-resource management (ERM) system.

This study uses convenient sampling method as the management institutes in India are many and scattered around India. A suitably designed questionnaire has been prepared and sent to the libraries. Data collected from the librarians/library in-charge on managing e-resources in their libraries selected under study were entered into SPSS software for analysis. Further, coding and decoding of data are being done for analysis. Simple cross tabulation, simple statistical tools like mean and standard deviations and advanced statistical tools like ANOVA, chi-square test and multiple regression analysis, etc. have been applied for analysis.

E-resources management is one of the most important concepts in any academic library. After automation and digitization of library resources, there is a challenge for library professional to manage this tremendous increase in e-resources. In this study, it is observed that all libraries are not following all the steps of different components of ERM such as selection, evaluation, acquisition, license agreement and renewal/cancelation of e-resource which are essential for the better management of e-resources. The voluminous e-resource can easily be managed through the ERM system. However, this study found that better management of e-resources directly effected by the facilities of IT infrastructures available in the library and proportion of non-professional staff to total staff.

This study is confined to 38 libraries of ranked management institutes/business schools in India based on the report published in Business India, Business World and Business Today. This study is confined to issues relating to e-resources collection development, the status of IT infrastructure, life-cycle process of e-resources and tools and technology implemented to manage e-resources.

This paper provides how electronic resources are being managed by business/management school libraries in India. What are the methods/criteria they are being used in different components of the life cycle of e-resources management? In this paper, the hypothesis has been tested by using simple and advance statistical tools.