Great questions! I hope others will respond here.

Many of us do this yearly, and have to submit reports to various groups, such as the ACRL Annual Survey.

It seems to me that the main reason we want usage stats is to see whether our resources are being used and whether we are spending our money wisely. However, sometimes I have no idea how to evaluate the numbers I gather. I can do a cost-per-search calculation, but how do I know, for example, whether $26.50 per search is reasonable for a limited scope database that our subject specialist regards as indispensable? And how in the world do I make sense out of the various numbers I get from proxy stats, link resolver stats, and vendor/publisher stats? How can I possibly have time to check all of the possible access routes for each journal subscription?

And, finally, how do I take these massive spreadsheets and distill them into accurate and digestible reports for people who don't have time to pore over all the numbers?

Pat Thompson

Patricia R. Thompson
Assistant University Librarian for Resource Management Services
duPont Library
University of the South
Sewanee, TN 37383
931-598-1657
pthompso@sewanee.edu

At 09:54 AM 6/2/2009, you wrote:

Hello all,

I am wondering how often other E-Resources librarians gather statistics and compile reports. I am at an institution that is part of a consortium where the statistics are compiled and provided to us via the consortium.

Currently there is no policy in place requiring reports at certain times. Should I, as the E-Resources librarian, be gathering and evaluating numbers for good measure? Also, it has been many years since I�ve taken a statistics course. Are there any recommendations on what types of statistical measures I should be working with? Or a suggested reading list? Any recommendations are welcome.

Thanks,

E. Harrell,
Serials and E-Resources Librarian
Gulf Coast Community College