[Speaking points for: http://tinyurl.com/hf3p8pw] Commonly used in software development, Scrum is a simple and practical project management methodology. This presentation will demonstrate how using Scrum to develop a framework for a comprehensive review of e-resource collections kept the project on task, strengthened the project's deliverables, increased team morale, and resulted in equitable task distribution.

1. ER&L 2016 G. Chilton 5 April 2016
S69 - Using the Scrum Project Management Methodology to Create a
Comprehensive Collection Assessment Framework
Galadriel Chilton
@gchilton
Head of Licensing & Acquisitions
University of Connecticut
galadriel.chilton@uconn.edu
Abstract
Commonly used in software development, Scrum is a simple and practical project management
methodology. This presentation will demonstrate how using Scrum to develop a framework for
a comprehensive review of e-resource collections kept the project on task, strengthened the
project's deliverables, increased team morale, and resulted in equitable task distribution.
Learning Objectives
1. Following this session, participants will be able to describe one attribute of the Scrum
project management methodology.
2. Following this session, participants will be able to name one way using Scrum project
management benefits individuals, a team, a supervisor, or the organization.
3. Following this session, participants will be able to apply at least one aspect of Scrum
project management to their work.
Slide Talking Points
Good afternoon! Thank you for coming and joining me for this final
session of today where I’ll be sharing how UConn’s Electronic
Resource Services unit (now called the Licensing & Acquisitions
unit) used the Scrum project management method to create a
framework to enable a comprehensive collection assessment.
We began planning for this project in January 2015 with these
objectives…
…we knew that we not only needed to make data and information
available about UConn’s e-resource collections but that we also
needed to create methods and tools for those unfamiliar with the
nuances and intricacies of e-resources and journal packages to
learn and have a context in which they could review the data.

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With the objectives establishes, these were the deliverables we
planned to design and create to meet these objectives.
Upon completion of our project plan we were excited. We were
going to create a framework to enable a data-informed and
systematic assessment of e-resource collections.
It was like getting a new box of Legos and imagining the really
fantastic thing we were going to build!
But then you open the box and realize that there are so many
pieces to put together and you become completely overwhelmed.
Was it really possible to make our vision a reality?
Where should we begin?
How should we go about this monumental task?
So, we sought the help of a wise colleague with deep knowledge
about project management. He recommended Scrum and shared
this book that is perfect for busy e-resource managers – you can
read it in the time it takes for your computer to finish installing the
latest Windows updates.
What is Scrum?
You start with a team of people that will be working on the
project. The book recommends that team members have one of
the following roles: product owner, scrum master, team member.
The product owner’s primary function: has the vision for the
deliverables, represents interests of the organization, represents
the end user (in our case the collection developers), is available to
answer team member questions, etc.
The scrum master’s primary function: scrum expert and advisor,
coach, impediment bulldozer, facilitator.
Next you have a story. The narrative behind the project. We had
three stories:
- As a subject librarian I want the cost of subscriptions by
title (individual, packages, databases), and license cost
share with other organizations so that I can make
decisions towards cancellations or renewals.
- As a subject librarian I want full text usage of articles in
journals and cost of ILL for articles if not subscribed as well

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as usage for databases so that I can make decisions toward
cancellations or renewals.
- As a subject librarian I want list price for each journal if
individually subscribed instead of in a package for all
journals currently in packages so that I can make decisions
toward cancellations or renewals.
The stories are written and refined as part of a long, detailed,
thorough sprint planning meeting. Typically, we set aside 2-4
hours on the Monday morning beginning a sprint.
Once the stories have been finalized, the very important but
lengthy part of the sprint planning meeting begins:
Taking apart the stories and the deliverables so that…
…you can create doable, manageable tasks and see how
everything should fit together.
Then you determine how much time members of the team have to
spend on the project for the two week sprint. This was key for us
because this project was in addition to all of our other e-resource
management responsibilities such as licensing, renewals,
troubleshooting access issues, etc.
Then team members review each task to conclude how much time
they think it will take to complete each task.
Let us review two examples of how the time on task was
determined. Could I have four volunteers come join me?
Each team member has a set of time cards with the following hour
increments: 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, and 40. Each team member is going
to review the task and make an educated guess as to how long
they think the task will take. When everyone is ready, each team
member shares their estimate with the group. The group is aiming
for consensus; so, if there are different time estimates, each team
member explains why they chose the amount of time they did, and
after everyone has shared their thoughts, the group determines
their time allocations again – it could stay the same or go up or

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down depending on what a team member shared. This occurs until
there is agreement in the time allocated for each task.
Ok, here is the first task. Based on what you know, how much time
do you think it will take?
This task was completed as part of our third sprint. 2014 usage
statistics had already been gathered and entered into the Journal
Package Guide. So, based on experience and expectations, we
estimated 8 hours and it actually took 8 hours.
Here’s another task. Based on what you know, how much time do
you think it will take?
For this one, we estimated 8 hours based on our first sprint, but
because credentials had expired, issues we discovered with the
2014 usage statistics, determining that what we had as searches
for one resource should be changed to sessions so as to better
reflect expected and known usage patterns, etc., this task actually
took 26.75 hours.
As the time allocations for each task are determined, they are
compared to estimates of team member’s estimated time
available, skills, interests, etc., and it’s determined who will do
what.
Then, all the stories and tasks are put on a scrum board.
After the initial planning meeting, you have a quick, stand
up/water cooler check in meeting every day to see how task
completion is going, determine how many hours were spent on
task, etc.
For us, these check ins were critical because if someone was stuck,
another might have a solution. If someone wasn’t able to work on
a task because something critical came up, and another team
member finished their task, they could switch tasks, etc. So, using
sprints, we created…

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Journal Package guide for 57 packages / 48 publishers.
Included package name, price, use, cost per use, license info (e.g.
term, cancellation, price cap, perpetual access, etc.), cost share
information if the cost is shared with UConn Law and Health and if
so what percentage and amounts of the cost are shared.
Journal Package guide – different interface.
This alternate interface as well as some components of the data
included and the data display were the result of reviewing mock-
ups with a couple of collection developers.
Database guide with 3 years of usage data and cost data.
Package title lists for each of the 58 journal packages that included
entitlement, price/package, price/journal (if available under
subscription model), usage, cost per use, list price if unsubscribed,
projected ILL cost if unsubscribed.
Results of merging of entitlement, usage, and list prices as well as
overarching journal package information.

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So, using Scrum as a method of managing our project provided
road for us to travel down, but compared to what I’ll call “pristine
Scrum…”
We varied a bit and tailored the method to our needs and
circumstances.
First we had a team of 4 – not the recommended 5-9. We didn’t
really designate roles described; however, we did have one person
who was master of the task time log who recorded the time
anticipated, time spent on each task and for each sprint.
Also, in addition to our three stories, we had a saga:
- As a member of the E-Resource Services Unit, I need to
know proposed cancellations by August 2016 so that I can
give vendors adequate time to process cancellations.
This is what our sprint board looked like.
- Added a “dependent to do”
- Added a holding tank.
Found tremendous value is using analogue technology to connect
to one another, collaborate, and track our project.
We also ran into several challenges along the way…
Like the times we thought we were opening a box of Legos, but it
turned out to be Lincoln Logs.

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The data was so messy at times that we often felt like scared
Emmet. Especially when merging the journal package title lists.
Formatting of list prices whereby each title has the ISSN and price
in rows underneath the title rather than adjacent columns.
Entitlement and price lists without ISSNs and title naming
conventions that are different that journal title naming
conventions on usage reports.
COUNTER JR1 Usage reports list all names of a journal throughout
a journal’s history. For example, a usage report lists the current
title and past titles for journals which means that usage could be
reported under a past journal title name and the usage needs to
be collapsed under the current title name.
Thus, there were many times that we were creating ways to merge
and integrate mismatched parts.
For example, here’s a complex Excel formula and a screenshot of
creating a relational database to pull data together.

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Additionally, we had requests for additional data along the way. In
this case for information about where the UConn community were
publishing and what journals were they citing. So, we reached out
to Elsevier and they pulled reports from Scopus and provided
Excel-formatted reports.
In the end, our team of four completed the deliverables described
in 9.5 weeks and 243.5 hours.
We built the spaceship!
And it can be modified, added, and improved upon for next year’s
review.
And, like Benny, we were so very happy.
So what were the benefits and challenges of using the Scrum
method for project management?
The challenges are mostly outside of using Scrum, but important
to note:
 Small staff
 Huge project on top of very full workloads
 By the third sprint, we were all experiencing sprint fatigue
– we had hoped to finish our work in the previous two
sprints and all of us were ready to be done.
Our team looks more like this than four storm troopers – we are
very different people and personalities with our strengths and
weaknesses. Because of this, Scrum is incredibly beneficial: the
analog framework is simple but necessitates communication. The
framework for planning, creating tasks, assigning tasks, checking in
all within the context of our other responsibilities made it possible
for this project to succeed: reviewing each task and assigning a
time and person to it meant that work was equally distributed.
You didn’t end up in a situation with one person doing bearing the
burden and most of the work of the project – the framework
definitely helped foster an environment of everyone owning the
project and being in it together.

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Really, it gave us wings to fly over the feelings of being utterly
overwhelmed and paralyzed by the monumental size of this
project.
So, I’d like to extend huge thanks to my colleagues who made this
all happen:
 Dale Hendrickson who showed us the way be introducing
us to Scrum when we didn’t know it existed. He endured
our very first Scrum planning meeting and showed us the
way!
 My team members: Merlita Murphy, Chenwei Zhao, and
Alice Fairfield who jumped into Scrum with me
wholeheartedly and worked incredibly hard; because of
their commitment, we did it!
 Steve Batt who so eagerly and helpfully shared his wisdom
and helped us figure out column/row layouts for the data
that will make it as easy as possible to update the data
next year and to import the data into Tableau, etc. for
data visualization and other data work.
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