Yes, Brenda. We are a very small seminary library, with about 350 titles in our current periodicals browsing area, and about 700 active titles all told.  Almost all titles are on patron-accessible shelving. Our unbound journals don't normally circulate (they aren't barcoded). Bound journals can circulate with an override by the librarian in charge (we have students at the desk, with a designated librarian for 2nd level support).  We concentrate on counting use of the titles in the current periodicals area, although we do have reshelving trucks next to other periodicals stacks, and we count all that end up on reshelving trucks, active and inactive.  We have signs on the reshelving trucks and on the current periodical shelves that say "We are counting periodicals use - please return issues that you have used to the reshelving cart."  The ISSN barcodes are for the current periodicals shelves, and there's a label on the shelf with the title on it that gets scanned when I reshelve from the reshelving cart.
Cindy
________________________________
From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] on behalf of Brenda L. Keane [Brenda.Keane@JWU.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 9:26 AM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Tracking print journal usage

Hi Cindy,

Thanks for your input. I hope you won’t mind answering a few questions. Do you allow your journals to circulate? If so, how long is your journal check out period? Does your library have a browsing area where students can access the print journal collection directly, or must they request journals from restricted areas? When patrons are done with a journal, do they bring them to a staff member or do they drop them off in a reshelving bin/area? Do your statistics reflect journals that have been checked out only or do they include journals that were read in-house without being checked out?

I look forward to hearing from you,

Brenda Keane
Library Serials Clerk
Johnson & Wales University
8 Abbott Park Place
Yena Center
Providence, RI 02903
401-598-1459

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Harper, Cynthia
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2015 3:49 PM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Tracking print journal usage

Don’t know if Kristi Thompson mentioned this option, but we have barcode labels stuck on the shelf where items are reshelved. Then I use a portable barcode reader (Opticon OPN200x) to scan these as I shelve. I also scan the barcodes on the bound volumes with this method.  The bound barcodes start with IVTS… as used by our ILS, the unbound barcodes are just ISSNs.  The Opticon can date-stamp the barcode, so I get a record of when during the semester things get used, as well.

Cindy Harper
charper@vts.edu<mailto:charper@vts.edu>

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Brenda L. Keane
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2015 2:55 PM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Tracking print journal usage

The following is a summary of the responses I received to my 3/26/15 posting to SERIALST ‘Tracking print journal usage’. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your insights.

1.)                Use of a binder: Kristine L. Sekely of Central Pennsylvania’s Community College and Abbigail Stauber of Geneva College both use a binder containing a listing of each print title and a barcode for that title, which is updated annually.  Before a journal is reshelved, the circulation staff scans the barcode.  Kristine states that signs are posted asking students not to reshelve journals themselves.

2.)                Automated tracking of bound print journals: Steve Osberg of Wheaton College (IL) tracked unbound print journals using paper, pen and tick marks until a year ago. They no longer track unbound print journals. Bound journals needing to be reshelved are picked up by Circulation students and discharged in their system (Voyager) allowing them to extract system reports on browse counts for these bound print volumes. This is the only print journal usage information reported annually.

3.)                Use of signage, plus manual tracking (paper, pen, tick marks): Kristi Thompson of the Bureau of Reclamation Library (Denver); Teresa Imfeld of Warren Wilson College; Jeanette Skwor from Cofrin Library.

a.       Kristi mentions the possibility of using tick marks, barcodes with scanning and signage, plus the use of EOS for their ILS system which can track in-house usage that displays inside each journal title record.

b.      Teresa has noticed improved statistics with the use of signs near their reshelve boxes and journal display which state:

"Your FAVORITE magazine
might get CANCELLED

If we do not know it is being READ . . .
Teresa further uses a message (in smaller print) telling patrons the importance of collecting statistics from the magazines left in the "reshelve" boxes.

c.       Jeanette indicated that she uses the same method that we use at Johnson & Wales University.

4.)                Using ILL (Document Delivery of local copies): Angie Rathmel of the University of Kansas mentioned that presenters at an ACRL meeting discussed the use of ILL (Document Delivery of local copies) as an indicator of print journal usage.

5.)                Use of a date stamp label, plus circulation statistics: Brad Golod of Sahara West Adult Services has staff place a blank date stamp label on the back of each journal. This label is stamped with each re-shelving, with each date stamp representing usage. Brad combines this in-house usage with circulation statistics (available from item records) on a spreadsheet which he uses to determine print journal usage, which in turn is used to make cancelation decisions. See Brad’s original email on 3/26 for a copy of this spreadsheet.

6.)                Use of adhesive ‘dots’ and signage: Pamela O’Brien at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has used adhesive dots to track usage in the past. Each journal checked in was given a dot adhering to the front and back covers of the journal, creating a small seal along the open edge.  Patrons had to break the seal to use the journal. The library also posted notices in the Browsing Area letting patrons know it was a tracking survey, which stated “Don’t let the dots stop you!” and showed dot figures talking. This was done for 3 months of one year, and again during a different 3 month period the next year. Pamela’s library used this method to determine cancelations.

Feel free to let me know if I did not accurately summarize your suggestions, or if I inadvertently missed someone. Thanks again for all of these responses.

Brenda Keane
Library Serials Clerk
Johnson & Wales University
8 Abbott Park Place
Yena Center
Providence, RI 02903
401-598-1459

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Sue Gagnon
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 2:18 PM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG<mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG>
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Tracking print journal usage

Brenda, could you please summarize the answers to the group.  I especially would like to reread Theresa and Pamela’s answers.  Thanks so much!

Sue

Sue Gagnon
Head of Periodicals
Geisel Library
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH  03102
Tel:  603-641-7293
sgagnon@anselm.edu<mailto:sgagnon@anselm.edu>

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Brenda L. Keane
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 1:55 PM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG<mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG>
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Tracking print journal usage

A big “Thank You” to everyone who responded to my query about tracking journal usage! You have given me some great ideas to experiment with. I liked Theresa’s idea too, as well as Pamela’s. I may even implement both of them!

Whatever we decide to do, I will let all of you know how well these techniques work for us.

Thanks again,

Brenda Keane
Library Serials Clerk
Johnson & Wales University
8 Abbott Park Place
Yena Center
Providence, RI 02903
401-598-1459

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Skwor, Jeanette
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 1:23 PM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG<mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG>
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Tracking print journal usage

We do the same, although I do like Theresa’s idea & may just adopt that.  (Thanks for sharing!)

Sincerely,

Jeanette Skwor
Cofrin Library, Serials Dept.
(920) 465-2670

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Brenda L. Keane
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 9:00 AM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG<mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG>
Subject: [SERIALST] Tracking print journal usage

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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