Scatter of Journals and Literature Obsolescence Reflected in Document Delivery Requests

In this paper we investigate the scattering of journals and literature obsolescence reflected in more than 137,000 document delivery requests submitted to a national document delivery service. W e first summarize the major findings of the study with regards to the performance of the service.We then identify the “core” journals from which article requests were satisfied and address the following research questions: (a) Does the distribution of core) journals conform to the Bradford’s Law of Scattering? (b) Is there a relationship between usage of journals and impact factors, journals with high impact factors being used more often than the rest? (c) Is there a relationship between usage of journals and total citation counts, journals with high total citation counts being used more often than the rest?(d) What is the median age of use (half-life) of requested articles in general? (e) Do requested articles that appear in core journals get obsolete more slowly? (f) Is there a relationship between obsolescence and journal impact factors, journals with high impact factors being obsolete more slowly? (g) Is there a relationship between obsolescence and total citation counts, journals with high total citation counts being obsolete more slowly? Based on the analysis of findings, we found that the distribution of highly and moderately used journal titles conform to Bradford’s Law.The median age of use was 8 years for all requested articles. Ninety percent of the articles requested were 21 years of age or younger.Articles that appeared in 168 core journal titles seem to get obsolete slightly more slowly than those of all titles.W e observed no statistically significant correlations between the frequency of journal use and ISI journal impact factors, and between the frequency of journal use and ISI-Institute for Scientific Information, Philadelphia, PA) cited half-lives for the most heavily used 168 core journal titles.There was a weak correlation between usage of journals and ISI-reported total citation counts.No statistically significant relationship was found between median age of use and journal impact factors and between median age of use and total citation counts.There was a weak negative correlation between ISI journal impact factors and cited half-lives of 168 core journals, and a weak correlation between ISI citation halflives and use half-lives of core journals.No correlation was found between cited half-lives of 168 core journals and their corresponding total citation counts as reported by ISI.Findings of the current study are discussed along with those of other studies

The relationship between ILL/document supply and journal subscriptions

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide insights into the relationship between ILL/ document supply and journal subscriptions and to assess recent trends in the ILL service. Design/methodology/Approach: This survey is based on data from the ILL service conducted over the five year period 2005-2009 through the Italian NILDE (Network for Inter-Library Document Exchange) network. Findings: This article bears out important previous findings that ILL is not used as a surrogate for journal subscriptions. This is supported by the analysis of a broad number of titles and over a wide time-range. On the contrary, analysis of data transactions, particularly of the most requested journals, can bring about positive effects on new title acquisitions and negotiations with publishers. This paper also shows, at least for Italy, an overall growth and vitality of ILL, in spite of the widespread availability of e-journals acquired through consortia purchasing. Originality/Value: An insight into the relationship between ILL and journal subscriptions in Italy, a country where few studies have been carried out, and none at all for such a large number of libraries and transactions

Tilting at Windmills : BLDSC and the UK Higher Education Community

Purpose - To provide an overview of, the relationship between the British Library and higher education libraries in the 1990s, with particular relation to document supply. It also goes on to explore current developments in scholarly communication. Design/methodology/approach - The author played a role in several of the events described and uses the available literature to enlarge on a personal view of that decade. Findings - The paper shows that the relationship was a strained one caused in part by a mismatch of resources, but is in any case dwarfed by the larger external forces and changing opportunities and technologies for scholarly communication. Originality/value - Provides a record of the period

Electronic Resources and Academic Libraries, 1980-2000: A Historical Perspective

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Evaluation of Use of Consortium of e-Resources in Agriculture in Context of Kerala Agricultural University

As digital information resources available online are increasing at an exponential rate, several practices have evolved for the economic and effective delivery of such information to the end users. In this context, consortia-based information services have gathered momentum world over during the last few years. Though, there are several library consortia in India, UGC Infonet is mainly meant for universities controlled by UGC and CeRA is meant for agricultural universities. This paper discusses utilisation of consortia-based digital information resources by the post graduate and doctoral students of the Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur. Results show that cent percent of the students were familiar with the use of digital information resources available online and 87.14 per cent of them used CeRA. Eighty two per cent students were acquainted with CeRA and learned the required skills for the access and use of digital information resources through curriculum-based courses like ‘library and information services’, ‘research methodology’, etc. The students in general would like to strengthen the CeRA services by adding more resources and facilities

The impact of consortia purchasing of periodical publications on the document supply service

Purpose – This paper aims to show the impact of consortia purchased periodical publications on document supply services. These services have undergone considerable changes over the last five years, first decreasing but now recovering. Design/methodology/approach – First, this paper reviews the most recent specialised literature, focusing mainly on the impact of electronic journals in libraries, their effects, and proposed actions. Second, as an example of this new behaviour, presents the document supply service data, as collected in one hospital’s health-science library in the last four years. Findings – As evidenced by the literature, the users’ acceptance of electronic journals has undoubtedly been excellent. Consortia purchasing projects have become a basic tool that expand collections, support cooperative technological development, and require negotiating skills from librarians. But these mass purchases do not seem to be the ideal solution for libraries, they entail losing freedom when choosing the collection and often make library collections homogeneous by publisher. Originality/value – Reflects on what possible causes have led to the current situation and the current way to manage the collection.Publicad

Effectiveness of libraries in supporting researchers' information needs: The impact of a digital library

As one of the supporting departments of a university, the academic library plays a vital role in providing essential information resources and services to the researchers. Changes in information technology have impacted libraries due to change in the format of information resources and the information seeking behavior of users. Technology has transformed the way researchers seek, obtain and use information. Libraries therefore need to critically examine their effectiveness and continuously support researchers in fulfilling their research needs. Research has been conducted at an academic library that is moving towards transforming traditional services to a highly digital environment. The fruition of this idea is blooming into reality with the almost completed research wing of the library. In preparation of ensuring suitable and relevant research information, the research analyzed the effect and impact of digital information services existing so far. Moving from here the research hopes to further enhance facilities, services and training with special focus on academic clientele. Research results will be discussed in the course of this paper’s discussion. Amongst factors studied are the relationship between demographic characteristics and the perceived effectiveness of library services among researchers

Improving access: is there any hope?

World-wide calls for improvements in access to journal literature are being answered by a plethora of projects and services. Consortial purchasing, national licences and "big deals" dominate changes in collection development. Moves to set up affordable easy-to-use electronic document delivery services offer an alternative model based on single-article purchase. More radical barrier-free access models are moving the economic emphasis away from purchasing to input-payments. Are all these projects and services making a difference or will access to journal literature be no better in years to come than it is now? It is arguable that only those initiatives which are developing new models through collaboration between the stakeholders will succeed in making a major break-through in access

Why Print and Electronic Resources Are Essential to the Academic Law Library

Libraries have supported multiple formats for decades, from paper and microforms to audiovisual tapes and CDs. However, the newest medium, digital transmission, has presented a wider scope of challenges and caused library patrons to question the established and recognized multiformat library. Within the many questions posed, two distinct ones echo repeatedly. The first doubts the need to sustain print in an increasingly digital world, and the second warns of the dangers of relying on a still-developing technology. This article examines both of these positions and concludes that abandoning either format would translate into a failure of service to patrons, both present and future

User Needs and Library Services in Agricultural Sciences

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