Whether it's networking with vendor reps or poring over data, the continually evolving field of electronic resources management (ERM) is always throwing something new your way. Alana Verminski and Kelly Marie Blanchat were once new on the job themselves, crossing over from research instruction and the vendor side of scholarly publishing. They share what they've learned along the way in this hands-on guide. Cutting through the complexity of a role that's changing rapidly, inside you'll find to-the-point advice on methods and tools that will help you stay on top of things, including coverage of such key topics as

• the full range of purchasing options, from Big Deals to unbundling to pay per view;
• conversation starters that will help build productive relationships with vendor reps;
• questions to ask vendors about accessibility;
• common clauses of licensing agreements and what they mean;
• understanding the four types of authentication;
• using a triage approach to troubleshooting hitches in accessing articles;
• conducting an overlap analysis to evaluate new content;
• the basic principles of usage statistics, and four ways to use COUNTER reports when evaluating renewals;
• tips for activating targets in your knowledge base;
• five steps to developing an effective marketing plan; and
• how to master the lingo, with clear explanations of jargon, important terms, and acronyms.

This guide to ERM fundamentals will prove invaluable, both as a primer for those preparing to enter the field as well as a ready reference for current practitioners.