The measurement of use of web-based information resources: an early look at vendor-supplied data

To manage Web-based resources effectively, librarians need to evaluate vendor-supplied data about their use. This article explores the types of data available, using as its starting point the elements defined by the International Coalition of Library Consortia's (ICOLC) "Guidelines for Statistical Measures of Usage of Web-based Indexed, Abstracted, and Full-text Resources." It discusses the problems and issues of comparing use data from different vendors. Then, illustrated with data from one library, the article addresses five measures that have implications for collection management: variability of ICOLC data elements over time, which demonstrated the need to examine data continually; ratios of queries per session, which showed more stability over time than individual ICOLC elements; use by hour, which documented remote use but confirmed that most use occurred during regular library hours; use of electronic journal collections, which was more scattered than the classic 80/20 distribution; and use of Web-based resources in relation to a disciplinary population, which provided an index of value for assessing use of a particular resource. This study identifies aspects of data collection that librarians need to pay special attention to, recommends that vendors report the maximum number of simultaneous users per day and data gaps in addition to ICOLC elements, and suggests per capita use as a comparative measure among libraries

Measurement of use of electronic resources: advances in use statistics and innovations in resource functionality

The ICOLC guidelines and Project COUNTER codes of practice have advanced the measurement of use of electronic resources. At the same time, innovations in functionality within and among electronic resources are changing the environment in which use is measured. The present article explores measures of sessions and searches for one research library’s electronic resources. The article analyzes the transition from vendor-specific to COUNTER-compliant statistics, how vendors measure the running of search alerts, and the effects of federated searching on reported use. The analysis suggests that innovations in functionality may have changed the meaning of sessions and searches. The analysis also suggests the following principle: innovations in electronic resource functionality will necessitate advances in electronic resource usage measures to describe use meaningfully

“Deal or No Deal? Evaluating Big Deals and Their Journals”

This paper presents methods to develop metrics that compare Big Deal journal packages and the journals within those packages. Deal-level metrics guide selection of a Big Deal for termination. Journal-level metrics guide selection of individual subscriptions from journals previously provided by a terminated deal. The paper argues that, while the proposed metrics provide helpful quantitative data for comparative analysis, selection of individual subscriptions must also involve informed judgment about a library’s subject coverage needs and alternative sources of access. The paper also discusses how replacing a Big Deal with a reduced number of individual subscriptions may affect the collections budget, use of other resources, and interlibrary loan