On behalf of SOPAG, I would like to thank you for your willingness to serve on the SOPAG Electronic Resources Management System Task Group (ERMS). Over the past several years there have been numerous discussions in a variety of forums and contexts about theneed for a shared decision tool to aid the UC Libraries in collaborative collection development. More recently, the CDL made an initial effort to identify and organize the desirable features and needs for such a shared decision tool and began an environmental scan of electronic resources management systems (ERMS) currently available in the marketplace. In so doing, the CDL staff learned that electronic resources management systems had the potential to provide additional capabilities that would benefit the CDL and the UC Libraries and their initiatives for shared services and collections.

After a discussion of the report the CDL prepared (copy attached), SOPAG charged a program committee to develop a two-day, UC Electronic Resources Planning Meeting, to identify needs, reach consensus on top priorities, and recommend next steps to take in the pursuit of an ERMS to meet the needs of the UC Libraries and the CDL. The ERMS Planning meeting took place at UC Irvine on March 11- 12, 2004 with nearly 50 representatives from each of the campus libraries and the California Digital Library (CDL) in attendance.

The attached report of the Planning Meeting identified the common themes emerging from the meeting, outlined the functional needs (immediate and long term) of an ERMS for the UC Libraries, and recommended that SOPAG appoint a task group to continue the planning process. On the basis of these outcomes, the Task Group is charged to:

1. Develop a detailed definition of the immediate needs expressed in the Planning Meeting, including the scope of materials to be addressed (e.g., serials of all types – print, open access materials, tier one, two, etc.)
2. Prioritize the immediate needs within the context of the entire needs statement.
3. Develop high-level functional specifications that address the most immediate needs.
4. Test functional specifications against available options.
5. Deliver an analysis of the options and recommendations on which ones to pursue to SOPAG by July 23, 2004.

Bernie Hurley, Chair of the Task Force, will be in touch with you soon to get the groups work underway. Please let me know if SOPAG can be of any assistance to you in meeting the charge.