Controlling Chaos: Management of Electronic Journal Holdings in an Academic Library Environment

Management of electronic journal holdings information has been a challenge for librarians because of the complexities of how these resources are published, purchased, and disseminated to library users. This column discusses current practices among academic librarians for managing electronic holdings; explores tools, strategies, and innovations that librarians have used to enhance this process for the benefit of their library users and staffs; and examines the costs and benefits of different management practices. Telephone interviews with several librarians and the author's own experiences working with electronic journal holdings supplement the discussion with practical perspective and real life examples.