INTEGRATING USAGE STATISTICS INTO COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT DECISIONSLinda Hulbert and Dani RoachUniversity of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MNNASIG

2010

Overview

Linda Hulbert, Associate Director, Collection Management and Services

Dani Roach, Head of Serials and Electronic Resource Acquisitions

Why it mattersWhat data is availableGathering methodsCompiling and analyzingOutcomes

Assessment? Let me count the ways…

LibQualSAILSAcademic Library SurveyDatabase evaluationsUsagePeer comparisons

Types of assessment

Cost per useFunds (Disciplines)Historical trendsILL dataImpact factorsROI

ReviewsAvailabilityFeaturesUser feedbackWeightingExperience

Quantitative Qualitative

“…the amount of time libraries spent on collecting and analyzing usage statistics varied from one hour a year to 2,080, with an overall median of 98 hours. Generally, more time was spent on collecting the usage statistics than in analyzing them.” (Conyers)

Data, Data, What Data?

Formula for creating ‘data’

Usage Statistics+ Variables for Analysis + Methods for Analysis +

Tools/Systems/Standards

= Data for Analysis

How many ways to present the numbers?

Current print journal subscriptions cost per useSerials Solutions 360 Counter reportsDatabase evaluation checklistsVendor provided reportsHistorical print usage

Does the right hand know what the left hand is counting?

Sources for usage data

PrintUsually gathered at re-shelvingTick marks, spreadsheets, ILS item records

OnlineProvided by vendor/third partyPush or pull (systems and/or staff)Multiple levels reported

OtherERMS statistics (e.g. click-through); web logs

Variables for analysis

TitleFunds/SubjectsOrder status; formatCost; subscription periodOther identifiers (ISSN, vendor, bound vs. current issues, etc)

What is cost?

Annual subscriptionsMultiple paymentsMultiple fundsOne time archive feesHosting feesIncludes single title databases, e-journals, and now e-books

Methods for analysis

“The challenge most often mentioned in making effective use of vendor usage statistics was inconsistency of the data or lack of standards.” (Baker and Read)

What to include as use?

Counter and non-Counter compliantNon-journal titlesZero-use titlesIntegrating use for all formats

Non-Counter compliant dataLeading articles, foreign language titlesCombining data from variety of vendorsFiscal year data

What about… How to present…

Challenges of integrating data

ExtractingExchangingRedundant enteringSyncing silosMaintaining

Multiple sourcesInaccurate, incompleteUnavailableRedundant dataSyncing silos

For Costs For Use

How many systems do YOU use?

ILS (Innovative)ERMS (Serials

Solutions)Serials database

(Access)CSV, text files, ExcelVendor admin

modules

Local tool: Serials Database

Microsoft Access databaseTracks all active serial subscriptions; maintainedStores usage dataUse to build use reports, subscription lists, database evaluation check lists, etc.Built using info from ILS

Resources for annual serials review

Example: PRINT subscription cost per use

1. Collect usage when re-shelving; scan matching barcode

2. Use ILS item records to store current vs. bound use

3. Download usage statistics4. Massage with Excel5. Upload into Access Serials

Database; create cost per use reports

PRINT subscriptions – Cost per Use Report

Example: ONLINE subscription cost per use

1. Pull online use stats from vendors

48. Upload into ERMS49. Pull costs from ILS61. Upload cost into

ERMS62. Cost per use

integrated

Connecting Silos

ERMS

E-Resource Information (with

fields for cost)

ILS

Cost Data in Order Records

Merge and Upload cost

file into ERMS

Output selected cost fields to an Access Table

Output template of subscribed

resources to an Access Table

Use text files, Excel and Access to move data back and forth as needed.

JR1 ONLINE Cost Per Use Report

=(Q4* $Q$2)+(R4* $R$2)+(S4* $S$2)+(P4* $P$2)

The Fairness Factor

Capital vs. Operating

Capital/InsurableBooksStanding OrdersPeriodicalsPreservationMicrofilmItems exceeding $2,000

Operating/EphemeralPencilsPaperComputer leaseTravelDuesE Resources

Sharing the work for collection management

RoundtablesBusiness Librarians Roundtable (BLRT)Social Sciences Librarians Roundtable (SSLRT)Humanities and Arts Librarians Roundtable (HART)Science and Technology Librarians Roundtable (SATLRT)Reference Materials Roundtable (R-MART)

240 funds just for materials!

BooksMicroformsPrint periodicalsStanding ordersPreservation/Binding

E-BooksMedia

Streaming/DVDsE-journalsE-resourcesE Management toolsDigitization

Capital Operating

Work of library liaisons

Maintain web pages with their class contentTeachConsultationsMeet with faculty & assist in developing assignmentsStaff Reference Desk (and Chat, IM, Email ref)

Collections work of the liaisons

Determine fund distribution within their roundtablesRecommend cancellations of all continuationsWeed collectionsPurchase books and expend budgetEvaluate databases

All the measuring leads to decisions

Serial change recommendations

Outcomes

Engage the communityPublish the list

Put things on probationCancelDedupe Migrate to alternate formatsChange retentionAdd new titles

Future trends and issues

Ever more granularity of what is countedMore integration of print and online usageInteroperability and migration options for data and systemsContinued standards development (SUSHI, CORE, etc.)

Continued development of tools and systems (Serials Solutions 360 Counter, Scholarly Stats, Thomson Reuters Journal Use Reports, etc.)

Anything Worth Doing is Worth Overdoing

A&Q

Some of the websites mentioned:UST Captivate tutorials on moving cost data from ILS to

ERMSMore information on NISO and COREJournalprices.comEingenfactor.orgDiane Carroll’s Serials Decision Database

QUESTIONS?

More info

Baker, G. & Read, EJ.,(2008). Vendor –supplied usage data for electronic resources: a survey of academic libraries. Learned publishing vol. 21(1) 2008.Conyers, A, (2010) Usage statistics and online behaviour (2). The E-Resources Management Handbook – UKSG . http://www.uksg.org/serials/handbook.aspFeeney, M., Martin, J. Situ, P. (2010). We’ve Got the Data – Now What Do We Do With It? : Applying Quality Standards to Assess Information Resources. University of Arizona. Presented ER&L Austin, TX.Hulbert, LA . Predicting materials resource needs: a quantitative response to changing curricula. LibResearch, 5(3) Original site: http://ftp.curtin.edu.au/pub/libres/LIBRES5N3/HULBERT 1996. Current site: http://dhsws1.humanities.curtin.edu.au/libres/LIBRES5N3/CONTENTS.txtKara, B. & Koennecke, J. (2010). Comparison Complexities: The Challenges of Automating Cost- per-use Data Management. Cornell University. Presented ER&L Austin, TX.Roach, DL., (2010) Moving Mountains of Cost Data: Standards for ILS to ERM System to Vendors and Back Again. The Serials Librarian, 58 (1)198–203 Dani Roach Presenter, SHARON DYAS- CORREIA, Recorder

Thank you!

Linda Hulbert lahulbert@stthomas.edu 651-962-5016Dani Roach dlroach@stthomas.edu 651-962-5408

Many thanks to our graphics guru, Roxann R. Reisdorf!

Thanks to the Shoyen Collection (www.schoyencollection.com) for use of MS 3047, the stone multiplication table.

Thanks to the Early Office Museum (www.officemuseum.com/) for use of selected images.

Images are copyrighted and cannot be used without the permission of the copyright holder.