2 messages, 69 lines:
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Date:         Mon, 11 Jan 1993 09:05:00 EST
From:         Kamala S. Narayanan <NARAYANA@QUCDN.QUEENSU.CA>
Subject:      Use studies

         I think there are several ways to determine use studies. But
         has anyone found out an easy online method to determine who
         the users are i.e undergraduate or graduate or faculty or
         private researcher?  Some specialized journals show very
         heavy use but maybe only one person is using it for his/her
         own private research.  Some titles are used even if there is
         no known related research being carried out on campus.  In
         fact, we have been forced to look at titles for cancellations
         even if they have been heavily used, simply because the
         department who pays for them, is no longer interested.

Kamala S. Narayanan          Ph: (613) 545 2831
Serials Librarian            Fax: (613) 545 6819
Acquisitions/Serials
Queen's University
Kingston. Ontario K7L 5C4
CANADA

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Date:         Mon, 11 Jan 1993 12:44:41 -0500
From:         Martha Gunnarson <mg@WPI.EDU>
Subject:      RE: Periodical use studies

  We have just completed one use study and are about to embark on another.
We subscribe to around 1,300 current periodicals. To make the study
manageable, we concentrated on the most expensive titles (those costing over
US$750 per year.)

  Issues were flagged with colored dots (dots also placed on shelves to
help locate the study titles) and each issue had an adhesive label (4" x
3/8") attached to the front cover and wrapped around to the back cover,
effectively taping the issue shut. The labels were marked "TEAR LABEL TO
OPEN."

  During the study the chosen titles were checked once a day Monday-Friday.
Issues with broken or missing labels were counted, and new labels applied.
Only issues on the current periodical shelves were included, once issues were
bound they were dropped from the study.

  Data was entered into dBase. The information in dBase included: Title,
subscription costs for FY1991 and FY1992, fund information, departmental
affiliation, frequency, and whether or not the title was included in the
Uncover database. Each of the 120 titles in the study was assigned an
identification number.  Study data included date used and number of issues
used on that date.  Total number of uses for the study period and the cost
per use were calculated.  The cost per use was very helpful in justifying
cuts to the faculty.

  Currently the library is underwriting the cost of ordering faxes of
articles from Uncover2.  The professional staff have been conducting
one-on-one visits with faculty members, encouraging them to use the
library program available on the campus network.  Uncover is available
through the library program, and we have the necessary passwords and
ordering information for Uncover2 built into the program.

  We were able to show the faculty (and ourselves!) that the cost of
ordering from Uncover2 was often much cheaper than maintaining
subscriptions to lesser used titles.  We were able to cancel enough to
a) keep the costs in line with this year's budget, and b) add some money
to the Uncover account to help pay for increasing demand.

Martha Gunnarson    Serials Librarian/Cataloger    Gordon Library
Worcester Polytechnic Institute    Worcester, MA  01609   mg@wpi.wpi.edu