> ***However, neither of us are counting the issues the
> patron looked at/touched on the way to taking some off
> the shelves, much less all that are shelved together,
> which is, in effect what is being done electronically.
> One inputs a search phrase into a database and brings
> up 300 articles, or one puts a subject into a library
> catalog and brings up _Nature_, goes up to access it,
> and finds 300 issues on the shelves.  Is there a difference?

I think there is.  The difference is that the 300 search results in this
scenario are generated by a specific query, and therefore probably have at
least some relevance to the user's research goal.  The 300 journal issues on
the shelf, for the most part, do not.

That said, I'm not arguing that we should cound those 300 hits as 300 uses
of our online journals.  To me, it makes sense to count each article that
the patron actually clicks on as a use.

-------------
Rick Anderson
Director of Resource Acquisition
The University Libraries
University of Nevada, Reno      "I'm not against the modern
1664 No. Virginia St.            world.  I just don't think
Reno, NV  89557                  everything's for sale."
PH  (775) 784-6500 x273             -- Elvis Costello
FX  (775) 784-1328
rickand@unr.edu