Benjamin Heet Receives ProQuest Coutts Award for Innovation

CHICAGO--The Association of Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) Collection Management Section (CMS) is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2016 ProQuest Coutts Award for Innovation. Benjamin Heet, program officer at Triangle Research Libraries Network, is recognized for his leadership in developing and promoting the CORAL Electronic Resources Management system. The award recognizes significant and innovated contributions to electronic collections management and development practice. The recipient receives a $2,000 award generously donated by ProQuest and a citation. The ProQuest Coutts Award for Innovation will be presented on Saturday, June 25 at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando.

The CORAL ERMS, an open-source software tool designed to support electronic resources management, was developed by Heet and his colleagues at the University of Notre Dame to address local needs. Since its initial release in 2010, Heet has facilitated adoption of CORAL by libraries around the world. CORAL’s success would not have been possible without Heet’s leadership and advocacy. His experience in managing electronic resources in a library setting initially informed the development of the intuitive and flexible CORAL system. Over the years, he has worked extensively to address problems and improve the product. Heet’s willingness to continue collaborating with users to expand on CORAL’s existing capabilities should be particularly noted. Recently, Heet led efforts within the CORAL user community to create a repository of documentation and establish a formal, independent governing structure. This innovative management tool has been adopted by over 150 libraries and has had a significant impact on the worldwide library community.

The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) is the national association for information providers who work in collections and technical services, such as acquisitions, cataloging, collection development, preservation and continuing resources in digital and print formats. ALCTS is a division of the American Library Association.