Although link resolvers and knowledge bases have become vital components of a library’s electronic resource access strategy, the success of these systems and services is ultimately dependent upon the cooperation of the various players across the supply chain of electronic resource metadata. Within this integrated e-resource management environment, content providers, subscription agents, knowledgebase vendors, and librarians all depend on each other for accurate title and holdings information. In the data supply chain, content providers and subscription agents make e-resource package and title metadata available to link resolver and knowledgebase vendors. Knowledgebase vendors use the metadata supplied by content providers and subscription agents to populate and maintain correct title and target data within the knowledgebase. Finally, libraries rely on the knowledgebase to provide correct title and holdings information so that they can maintain their electronic resource inventories and direct users to content. With several intermediaries in the electronic resource environment, this introduces more opportunities for the data supply chain to break, leading to failed access for library users.

ERM Challenges: the Centrality of the Knowledgebase