2019 Charleston Library Conference

Vendors of electronic resource management systems face a dilemma: Develop software around specific libraries’ workflows and risk alienating other libraries; aim for the lowest common denominator and miss the opportunity to deeply satisfy any particular library. Built on the “freemium” database app Airtable, my homegrown ERMS named RELIC has the potential both to meet libraries’ needs better—if they are willing to retrofit it to their specifications—and to give vendors tangible insight into library workflows without the mutual expense of development partnerships. Airtable’s cloud platform allows easy copying and sharing of my database (using dummy data) with any interested party. Airtable has a much lower barrier to entry than SQL or even Microsoft Access, and its cleverly documented APIs may allow data sharing with library services platforms. In RELIC, I have structured my metadata for easy import during future systems migrations while adding immense immediate value through relational links. This poster illustrates some key results available in RELIC and the process by which I achieved them. Through their evaluation and critique of this new DIY entry into the ERMS marketplace, attendees can strengthen the library-technology ecosystem.