Usage Statistics of E-Serials / Edition 1

by David Fowler

Overview

What are the potentials—and limitations—of usage statistics in libraries?

As libraries increase their use of electronic resources, the value of quality evaluation of usage statistics has gained greater importance. Usage Statistics of E-Serials tackles this difficult issue by exploring in detail the proper evaluation of the level of usage of electronic resources. Noted experts discuss their own experiences in the field from multiple viewpoints and backgrounds, providing the reader with a well-rounded view of the entire topic. Issues comprehensively examined include the gathering and processing of statistics, costs and benefits of e-journals, evaluation and interpretation of data, and the comparison of different types of data collection methods.

Usage Statistics of E-Serials reviews a range of situations and experiences of librarians and administrators in several different academic libraries. These authorities offer approaches and strategies to help readers more fully understand how to best manage those crucial resources. Multiple perspectives shine a needed spotlight on various challenges still facing academic librarians who attempt to measure and manage their library’s electronic resources. This resource includes helpful screen captures, tables, and figures to fully explain ideas and data.

Topics in Usage Statistics of E-Serials include:

• processing, standardizing, and dissemination of usage statistics
  
• a case study examining the cost of selection, acquisition, maintenance, and renewal of subscription of e-journals
  
• cost savings of canceling print journals
  
• evaluation and interpretation of data about the content and use of databases in decision-making
  
• the MaxData Project
  
• results of the Council of Connecticut Academic Library Directors (CCALD) e-resource management survey
  
• in-house current-awareness module MyCLICAPS
  
• statistics options provided by Serials Solutions
  
• the influence of usage statistics on collection development decisions
  
• the tracking of electronic resources by San Jose State University from the Federal depository program
  
• usage statistics as the basis for a usage-based pricing system
  
• more!
  
  

Usage Statistics of E-Serials is a must-have resource for every academic librarian, particularly those in technical services, public services, and administration involved in gathering and utilizing usage statistics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780789029874
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/30/2007
Pages:	338
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

David C. Fowler, MLS, is Assistant Professor and Electronics Resources Librarian at the University of Oregon Libraries in Eugene since early 2006. Prior to that, he was Electronic Resources Coordinator for Acquisitions in the Technical Services Division of the Parks Library at Iowa State University in Ames. His professional experience began when he became the Serials Services Librarian at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christie. His work has been published in Collection Management, the Journal of Academic Librarianship, and Library Resources & Technical Services. He is also the editor of E-Serials Collection Management: Transitions, Trends, and Technicalities (Haworth). He holds an MLS degree from the State University of New York - University at Albany, and a BA in criminal justice from the University of Alaska - Anchorage.

Table of Contents

Contributors Introduction (David C. Fowler) Chapter 1. Practical Considerations in the Standardization and Dissemination of Usage Statistics (Alea Henle and Donnice Cochenour) Chapter 2. Are We Really Balancing the Ledger with E-Journals? (Randle Gedeon) Chapter 3. Shared Purchase-Shared Responsibility: A Stewardship Tool for Consistent E-Usage Evaluation (Susanne K. Clement) Chapter 4. MaxData: A Project to Help Librarians Maximize E-Journal Usage Data (Carol Tenopir, Gayle Baker, Eleanor J. Read, Maribeth Manoff, Kitty McClanahan, David Nicholas, and Donald W. King) Chapter 5. E-Resource Management in Connecticut Academic Libraries: 2005 CCALD Survey Results (Carol Abatelli) Chapter 6. Deriving Usage Statistics from Local Library Management Software (Arun Kumar and Martin P. Brändle) Chapter 7. Serials Solutions and the Art of Statistics Gathering (David C. Fowler) Chapter 8. Application of Electronic Serial Usage Statistics in a National Laboratory (Christine F. Noonan and Melissa K. McBurney) Chapter 9. Usage Statistics of Electronic Government Resources (Susan L. Kendall and Celia Bakke) Chapter 10. The Implications of Usage Statistics As an Economic Factor in Scholarly Communications (Heather Morrison) Chapter 11. E-Journal Usage Statistics in Action: A Case Study from Cancer Research UK (Angela Boots, Julia Chester, Emma Shaw, and Chris Wilson) Chapter 12. Lies, Damn Lies, and Usage Statistics: What’s a Librarian to Do? (Rickey Best) Chapter 13. Statistics Drive Marketing Efforts (Eleonora Dubicki) Chapter 14. Uses of Necessity, or Uses of Convenience? What Usage Statistics Reveal and Conceal About Electronic Serials (Norm Medeiros) Chapter 15. The Next Steps in Developing Usage Statistics for E-Serials (Elise Anderson) Chapter 16. Usage Statistics in Context:

What People are Saying About This

Flora G. Shrode

Provides librarians with a TIMELY AND THOROUGH overview of many crucial elements in this area of collection management. . . . Belongs in academic library collections and on librarians' professional reading lists and will prove VALUABLE TO LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE STUDENTS seeking to learn about the theoretical foundations for measuring use and practical guidance for real world management of the continual struggle between available budgets in libraries and the access that librarians desire to provide. (Flora G. Shrode, MSLIS; Head, Reference & Instruction Services, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University)

Editorial Reviews

As prices rise and as online statistics of serials usage become more widely available and standardized, both libraries and publishers will inevitably come to depend on them for pricing, marketing, and purchasing decisions. Since the provider of the resource (the publisher or vendor) is the only one who can accurately measure the use of an online resource for a widely scattered population, it is incumbent on the library to use caution in weighing providersupplied statistics in budgeting and purchasing decisions. Is the provider compiling and revealing statistics to subscribers? What data do librarians need to examine in order to make appropriate purchasing decisions? Are accurate usage numbers enough to make a good buying decision? Librarians may want to consider that a download from the swimsuit issue and a download from a journal on cancer research may not produce the same value to society. Should we weigh these two uses equally in our purchasing decisions? These are only a few of the considerations addressed in this collection. Editor Fowler, the electronic resources librarian at University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, has brought together an excellent group of contributors with a wide array of views, from the nittygritty of how to integrate usage data from varied sources in different formats to a thoughtful discussion of how to make the best use of the data gathered. Recommended reading for all librarians. [Index not seen.]

For children's and YA librarians needing some book recommendations for their young patrons, Nancy Pearl, "America's favorite librarian," offers her own picks in Book Crush: For Kids and Teens-Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, andInterest(Sasquatch. 2007.)
—Margaret Sylvia

Library Journal