Please join us for an exciting panel discussion at the annual
meeting of the ALCTS CRS E-Resources Interest Group:
Saturday, June 26, 10:30-12:00
J.W. Marriott Hotel,
Grand Ballroom I / II
Down for the Count: Making the Case for E-Resource Usage Statistics
There Are So Many Numbers...
Most e-resource vendors supply usage statistics by
request, on-demand, or via an automated notification process. This data
can provide crucial information which is potentially useful when evaluating an
e-resource. In practice, collection developers juggle too many
data-filled spreadsheets from a variety of vendors. Minimally, we use
these statistics in retention and cancellation decisions e.g., how often a
journal is browsed vs. article downloads. With so much data available, it
is convenient to focus on the easily understood statistics such as the number
of database searches. If we mine the data, we can make better informed
decisions. What is the useful data and how do we extract it from the
superfluous noise? Why are turnaways more than just the number of users
who cannot access a resource? When is a search not really a search?
Who is counting what and why? Usage statistics are undeniably a valuable
collection management assessment. Make them an effective tool that works
for you.
Nadia J. Lalla, Coordinator, Collections and
Information Services, Taubman Health Sciences Library, University of Michigan
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Using E-Book Statistics to Inform the Acquisition and
Weeding of Print and E-Books
As the E-Book market continues to grow in the number of
titles offered, usage statistics play an increasing important role in the
disposition of monograph budgets. This session will explain why comparing
e-book usage statistics and pricing models to their print counterparts is like
comparing apples to oranges. Reporting these statistics in annual
reports, surveys, and accreditation can be challenging (for example, buying 1,000
e-books for 10,000 dollars versus buying 500 print books for 10,000 dollars can
really throw off statistics when reporting "price paid per
book"). Because many e-books have multiple-users-at once options,
new data for demand by subject areas and publishers can be gleaned. Challenges
with how to best use e-book statistics for effective collection management will
be explored.
Doralyn Rossmann, Collection Development Librarian
& Team Leader, Montana State University Libraries
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The Problems with Use Statistics for Electronic Books
Although the COUNTER Code of Practice for Books and
Reference Books was published in March 2006, there is little evidence that
vendors who provide electronic books in the health sciences have adopted the
standard. Vendors provide use statistics in Word documents, html pages, and
occasionally in Excel. In addition, the vendors count usage in different ways.
It is therefore difficult to compare use between platforms in order to make
valid analyses of use and cost-per-use. In our tight budgetary environment, we
need to be able to compare use and cost-per-use, but are hampered by the lack
of consistency in reporting use.
Leslie Czechowski, Assistant Director, Collections
and Technical Services,Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh
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Counts within Context: A Tempered Approach to
Use Statistics
With a $6 million dollar budget for online resources
representing 78% of the materials budget, the University of South Florida is
attempting to control annual increases for online resources by acquiring less
print. But the line has been drawn in the sand by library administration. If
additional funding is not forthcoming from the Provost and President in 2011,
the electronic resources budget will see significant reductions. What role do
use statistics play in the evaluation of online resources in the context of cancellations
through the eyes of administrators? The answer is surprising.
Monica Metz-Wiseman, Coordinator of Electronic
Collections, University of South Florida
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Figuring Cost Per Use: Fiscal Year, Calendar Year, and
what falls between
Cost per use generally needs to be reported on either a
fiscal or calendar year basis, but vendor contracts do not always run on the
same schedule. The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) has been working on
calculating flexible cost per use data that can be reported for any time frame
needed. The cost per use analysis is made possible by innovative means of data
collection. This allows extensive data collection and analysis to be
performed with minimal time and effort.
Tansy Matthews, Associate Director, Virtual
Library of Virginia
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NISO SUSHI Update
The SUSHI standard defines an automated request and
response model for the harvesting of electronic resource usage data utilizing a
Web services framework. It is intended to replace the time-consuming
user-mediated collection of usage data reports. This presentation provides an
overview of the SUSHI standard, recent updates and current objectives of the
NISO SUSHI Standing Committee.
Bob McQuillan, Senior Product Manager, Innovative
Interfaces
Member, NISO SUSHI Standing Committee
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Amira Aaron
Chair, ALCTS CRS ERIG
Associate Dean, Scholarly Resources
Northeastern University Libraries
617-373-4961 (work)
**Apologies for cross-posting**