Like many libraries, our focus has drastically shifted from print to online. Out of about 6,700 subscriptions, only about 400 are still in print.
In that context, we are not focusing as much on print journal usage as once was the case. Last year we stopped attempts to track and report on unbound issue usage. We still track bound print journal usage but in an automated way. Whereas before last year,
student workers in my unit were responsible for reshelving bound journal issues mainly due to manually tracking use (paper and pen and hashmarks – yikes), now, print serial volumes needing to be reshelved are picked up by Circulation students and discharged
in our system (Voyager) along with all other books and materials that are left unshelved throughout the library. This allows us to extract system reports on what are called browse counts for these bound print volumes. This is the entirety of what is now reported
in our annual report in terms of print journal usage.
The truth is, there is so much more use of e-journals, and so much more data to be collected and effectively analyzed, that I think this shift in focus is justified. Again, given the fact that the vast majority of our use and our content is with e-journals,
it seemed strange to me that our workflows were still so heavily print oriented. This is why we also dropped serials check-in a few years ago. I know that isn’t the case for every library, but I hope this perspective is useful.
Steve
Assistant Professor of Library Science
Electronic Resources and Serials
Wheaton College (IL)
+1 (630) 752-5852
Like many libraries, we spend a lot of money on print subscriptions. Has anyone developed a method of effectively tracking print journal usage?
We currently use Sierra check-in records to add or remove issues to our journal holdings. None of these journals are barcoded, nor do they circulate. We have tried to track usage by asking patrons not to re-shelve journals themselves, but
rather to leave used journals in bins, to be shelved by staff. This rarely happens.
An idea that I read about a few years ago was to install a scanner in the journals area and ask patrons to scan a journal each time it was used. Has anyone tried this? I look forward to hearing how other libraries assess print journal usage.
Brenda Keane
Library Serials Clerk
Johnson & Wales University
8 Abbott Park Place
Yena Center
Providence, RI 02903
401-598-1459
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