Are you a lone electronic resources librarian at a small institution? Are you unable to implement an electronic resource management (ERM) system due to lack of financial or technical resources? Is your administrative information for e-resource subscriptions still recorded in a variety of physical print-outs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, staff wiki pages, etc., and you would like to organize it in one central location? Then this is the session for you! This program will describe the presenter's step-by-step approach to creating a homegrown electronic resources management (ERM) system using Microsoft Access 2010. The topics covered will include use-case analysis, data analysis, card sorting for database design, tables and relationships in databases, and how to use forms in Access to make the ERM database user-friendly. The presenter will also refer to free, online Access 2010 documentation that was referenced in the creation of her local ERM system. Presenter: Sarah Hartman-Caverly Electronic Resources Manager, Delaware County Community College

1. DIY ERM for the Small Library
Sarah Hartman-Caverly, E-Resources Manager
Delaware County Community College

2. Agenda
• Why homegrown?
• Database design tools:
• Use case analysis
• Data analysis
• Tables and relationships in databases
• Card sorting
• Forms in MS Access
• References and Resources
• Comments and questions from you!

3. Obligatory Disclaimers
I am not a:
Software developer
Information architect
Database engineer+
+
I am a Librarian

4. Why homegrown?

5. Why homegrown?
Commercial Systems Open Source
(Open Software)
Systems
Homegrown
Systems
Development
Implementation
Support
Knowledge base
management
Features
Business model
Costs
Company controls
development
Community controls
development
You control
development
Company/IT-driven
implementation
Community/IT-supported
implementation
You are
implementation
Built-in support (for a
fee?)
Community (“free”) and
commercial (“fee”) support
options
You are support
Professional + crowdsourced
knowledge base
management
Crowdsourced knowledge
base management
You are the knowledge
base
Value-added features Developer-added
features
You are the features
Profit-driven Functionality-driven Necessity-driven
Software
Support
Staff
Support
Staff Staff

6. NEXT: DATABASE DESIGN TOOLS
Questions or comments?

7. Database Design Tools
Three principles of good
system design*:
• Minimize user effort
• Minimize user error
• Maximize user output
*(Recall my disclaimers!)
CC Photo Attribution: cell105 via Flickr

8. Database Design Tools
• Use case analysis
• What do the users need to accomplish with the system?
• Forms in MS Access
• How can I make the system more user-friendly?
• Card sorting
• How do the users expect data to be stored (structured)?
• Tables and relationships
• How will that data be stored (structured)?
• Data analysis
• What data does the system need to store?

9. Use Case Analysis
• Step-by-step
narrative describing
user interactions with
the system
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• From the users’
perspective
• Each use case is
based on a user goal
• Event-driven model
• Shows user-triggered
events and expected
system responses

10. Use Case Analysis
Components:
• Actors (user(s) and system)
• Trigger
• Preconditions
• Normal course
• Alternate Courses
• Postconditions
• Exceptions
• Summary:
• Inputs and their Sources
• Outputs and their Destinations
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.

11. Use Case Analysis
• Provides real use
scenarios for system
testing Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• Reveals most (if not all)
functional requirements
• Helpful in understanding
exceptions, special
cases, and error handling
requirements
• Helpful in prioritizing
features and functions for
development

12. Use Case Analysis: How to…
Identify use cases
• Ask:
• Identify:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• Who? (users)
• What? (goal)
• When? (trigger)
• How? (user-system interactions)
• Main user tasks
• Triggers for these tasks

13. Use Case Analysis: How to…
Identify steps within a
use case
• Ask:
• Identify:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• How does the work get
done?
• How does the system get
the inputs it needs?
• How does the user get the
outputs zhe needs?
• Preconditions
• User events
• System responses

14. Use Case Analysis: How to…
Identify elements within
each use case step
• Ask:
• Identify:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• What information does
the user know (can the
user input)?
• What information does
the system know (can the
system output)?
• Preconditions
• (User) Inputs
• (System) Outputs

15. Use Case Analysis: How to…
Validate the use case
• Ask:
• Techniques:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• What exceptions or
special cases (alternate
courses) might come up
for this use case?
• Is the user able to meet
zher goal?
• Role playing
• Focus groups
• Interviews
• Workshops

16. Use Case Analysis
What are some examples of use cases in
e-resources management?
Renewing a subscription
Reporting/tracking an access
problem

17. NEXT: DATA ANALYSIS
Questions or comments?

18. Data Analysis
Entity-Relationship
Diagram (ERD)
• Shows types of
information in the
system and how they
are organized and
related to each other
• Still from the users’
perspective Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.

19. Data Analysis
ERD Components:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• Attributes – information
about entities (nouns)
• Relationships –
associations between
entities (verb)
• Entities – person, place,
event, or thing (nouns)

20. Data Analysis
ERD Relationships
• Show high-level
business rules or
logic
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• Directionality of
relationships between
information
• Cardinality of
relationships between
information
• Modality of relationships
between information

21. Data Analysis
ERD Relationships, cont’d.
• Directionality
• Cardinality
• Modality Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• 1:1 (one-to-one)
• 1:N (one-to-many)
• M:N (many-to-many)
• 0 (not required; may be null)
• || (required)
• Parent entity is usually:
• The 1-side entity in a 1:N
relationship
• The ||-side entity in a
relationship

22. Data Analysis: How to…
Identify entities
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• Document analysis
• Look for key nouns in
your existing ERM
documentation
(spreadsheets, license
files, e-mail, etc.)
• Use case analysis
• Identify key nouns in
your use cases

23. Data Analysis: How to…
Identify entity attributes
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• More document analysis
• What information about
entities do you already
maintain?
• What piece of information
uniquely identifies each
instance of an entity (if
any)?
• More use case analysis
• What are the user inputs and
system outputs?
• What entities are these
inputs and outputs about?

24. Data Analysis: How to…
Identify and model
entity relationships
• Ask:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• How are entities associated
with each other (in real life)?
• How many instances of each
entity can participate in the
relationship (cardinality)?
• Can an instance of either entity
in the relationship exist without
an instance of the other entity
(modality)?
• Which entity acts on the other
in the relationship
(directionality)?

25. Data Analysis: How to…
Identify and model entity
relationships, cont’d.
• Normalization
Now we are really in the
weeds of database design!
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
• Usually reconfigure M:N
relationships with an „intersection
(or associative) entity‟ which has
a 1:N relationship with each
original entity
• 3 Levels of Normalization
• 1NF: Remove redundant attributes
• 2NF: Split off attributes that apply to
more than one entity into their own
entity
• 3NF: Split off attributes that are not
dependent on the unique identifier
into their own entity

26. Data Analysis
What are some examples of entities in
e-resources management?
Packages
Platforms
Databases/E-Resources

27. NEXT: TABLES AND
RELATIONSHIPS IN DATABASES
Questions or comments?

28. Tables and Relationships
What’s the point?
• Avoid duplicate or
redundant data
storage
• Store each piece of information
once!
• Relationships between
tables in [relational]
databases allow tables to
‘share’ information they
have in common
CC Photo Attribution: PhotoCo. via Flickr

29. Tables and Relationships
• Identifiers become
primary keys – a
mandatory, unique
value for each record
(instance) in the table
(of an entity)
• Primary keys can also
be system-generated
• Entities become
tables
• Attributes become
fields

30. Tables and Relationships
• Primary keys of parent
entities become
foreign keys of child
entities
• Creates a common
field (attribute)
between the tables
(entities)
• But you only have to
store the data once!
• Instantiates the
relationship between
the tables (entities) in
the database

31. Tables and Relationships
What are some examples of entity relationships
in e-resources management?
• Which is the parent and which is the child entity?
• What kind of identifier could serve as the
primary/foreign key?
Vendor || [1]  Subscription 0 [N]
• Vendor_ID (EIN or system-generated)
Package 0 [1]  E-Resource || [N]
• Package_ID (vendor-specified or system generated)

32. NEXT: CARD SORTING
Questions or comments?

33. Card Sorting
• User-centered technique
for designing information
architecture
• Quick, inexpensive,
inclusive
• Aids in discovering
entities and their
attributes
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.

34. Card Sorting
• Cards representing
pieces of information are
sorted by users into
categories that make
sense to them
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.
• In theory, each card is
a potential attribute
and each user-created
category is a potential
entity
• (Can be done online!)

35. Card Sorting: How to…
Prepare a card sort:
1. Select content
2. Select participants
3. Prepare cards (or online
sort)
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.
• Be consistent with the level
of granularity
• Document/use case analysis
• May be done individually or
in a group
• Who will use your system?
• Label each card; provide
brief description if necessary
• 30-100 items works well

36. Card Sorting: How to…
Execute a card sort:
1. Randomize cards
2. Introduce activity and
provide basic
instructions
3. Moderate participants
as they perform the sort
• Answer questions but don’t lead
participants
4. Record results
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.

37. Card Sorting: How to…
Analyze card sort
results:
1. Look for broad trends,
and/or
2. Use cluster analysis
software
• Online card sort
provides this
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.

38. Card Sorting: How to…
Perform an online
card sort:
• WebSort.net
• Free study for up to
10 participants
• (Can be upgraded)

39. Card Sorting: How to…
Analyze an online
card sort:
• WebSort.net
• Categories x Items
report under Results
• Exportable to Excel

40. NEXT: FORMS IN MS ACCESS
Questions or comments?
We’re in the homestretch!

41. Forms in MS Access
Display and edit information in a user-friendly way
Before:
After:

42. Forms in MS Access: How to…
Create a Form
• Establish tables, table
relationships, and
queries first
• Fields available in Form
view are determined by
tables and their
relationships
• Easiest method:
1. Select the Table or
Query in the navigation
pane
2. Select Form under the
Create toolbar ribbon

43. Forms in MS Access: How to…
Create a Form,
cont’d.
• Forms are available in a
variety of formats and
features
• Advice:
1. Create TWO back-up
copies of your database
• 1 is a true back-up copy
• 1 is a ‘sandbox’ for you
to play and experiment
in
2. Become friends with
your IT department!

44. NEXT: REFERENCES AND
RESOURCES
Questions or comments?

45. References and Resources
• Use Case Analysis
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. "Use case
analysis." System Analysis and Design. 5th ed. John
Wiley & Sons, 2012. Safari Books Online. ProQuest.
Web. 4 Mar. 2013.
Shacklette, J. M. (n.d.) Use case analysis: purpose and
implementation. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
http://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~mark/51023/Ucstyleg.html

46. References and Resources
• Data Analysis (ERD)
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. “Data modeling." System
Analysis and Design. 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Safari
Books Online. ProQuest. Web. 4 Mar. 2013.
Jewell, T. D., Anderson, I., Chandler, A., Farb, S. E., Parker, K.,
Riggio, A. & Robertson, N. D. M. (2004.) Electronic Resource
Management: Report of the DLF ERM Initiative. In Digital
Library Federation. Retrieved from
http://old.diglib.org/pubs/dlf102/
Sauter, V. (2000.) Entity-relationship diagrams (ERD). Web. 20
Mar. 2013. http://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/er/er_intro.html

47. References and Resources
• Tables and Relationships in Databases
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. “Data storage
design." System Analysis and Design. 5th ed. John
Wiley & Sons, 2012. Safari Books Online. ProQuest.
Web. 4 Mar. 2013.

48. References and Resources
• Card Sorting
Spencer, D. & Warfel, T. “Card sorting: A definitive
guide.” Boxes and Arrows. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.
http://boxesandarrows.com/card-sorting-a-definitive-guide/

49. References and Resources
• Forms in MS Access
Browne, A. (n.d.) Allen Browne’s Database and
Training. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Cawley, C. (2011). “Access tips & tricks.” Bright hub.
Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-
platform/articles/77473.aspx?cid=parsely_rec

50. References and Resources
• Forms in MS Access, cont’d.
Goodwill Community Foundation. (2013). “Access 2010:
Creating forms.” GCFLeanFree.org. Web. 20 Mar.
2013. http://www.gcflearnfree.org/access2010/13.1
McDonough, M. (2011). “Advanced Microsoft Access
tips.” Bright hub. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-
platform/articles/26937.aspx

51. References and Resources
• Forms in MS Access, cont’d.
Microsoft. (2013). “Basic tasks for an Access 2013 desktop
database.” Office support. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/basic-tasks-for-
an-access-2013-desktop-database-HA102809525.aspx
--. (2013). “Access 2010: Database tasks.” Office support. Web.
20 Mar. 2013. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-
help/access-2010-database-tasks-HA101829991.aspx
--. (2013). “Get to know Access 2007.” Office support. Web. 20
Mar. 2013. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/get-
to-know-access-2007-RZ010274013.aspx

52. References and Resources
• Forms in MS Access, cont’d.
Richter, L. (2011). “A catalog of tips for MS Access.” Bright hub.
Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-
platform/articles/125344.aspx
Shaffer, A. (2012). “Access level I tutorials.” New perspectives on
Microsoft Office 2007: First course. Boston: Cengage
Learning.

53. Thank you for your attention!
Sarah Hartman-Caverly
E-Resources Manager,
Delaware County Community College
shartmancaverly@dccc.edu
610-359-5218 CC Photo Attribution: samdecle via Flickr