Usage Statistics for Collection Usage Statistics for Collection Assessment and Decision MakingAssessment and Decision Making

Smita Joshipura & James CarvalhoPre-IFLA Conference

Stockholm University, StockholmAugust, 2010

GoalsGoals

• Overview of Arizona State University’s (ASU) home-grown online A-Z usage statistics web site

• Valuable tool for the librarians for collection assessment and decision making

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

• Electronic usage statistics overview• About Arizona State University• Need for usage statistics at ASU• A-Z usage statistics web site at ASU• Steps for creating A-Z usage statistics web site• Usage site challenges• Use of the assessment tool• User survey, future plans and challenges

Electronic Usage StatisticsElectronic Usage Statistics

• Process of collecting and disseminating usage data: Time-consuming, tedious, challenging

• Process extremely helpful, can not be ignored

• Timely, consistent and accurate usage data: critical for selectors

• Very practical and informative tool to assist librarians in collection development decisions (selection & retention)

Electronic Usage Statistics Electronic Usage Statistics Initiatives Initiatives

• ARL’s project E-Metric: Measures for E-Resources

http://www.arl.org/stats/initiatives/emetrics/index.shtml

• ICOLC Guidelines for Statistical Measures of usage of Web-based Indexed, Abstracted, and Full Text Resources http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/webstats.html

Electronic Usage Statistics Electronic Usage Statistics Initiatives Initiatives • COUNTER - Counting Online Usage of NeTworked

E-Resources (2002): Code of practice for measuring consistent and reliable data

http://www.projectcounter.org/about.htm

• SUSHI - Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative: Protocol for automatic harvesting of stats in ERM

http://www.niso.org/workrooms/sushi/#about

ASU : One University in Many ASU : One University in Many PlacesPlaces• One of the largest higher educational institutions in the

USA• 4 campuses: Tempe, West, Polytechnic and

Downtown Phoenix

ASU Libraries : One Library in ASU Libraries : One Library in Many PlacesMany Places

Branch libraries: 8

ASU at the Tempe campus• Architecture & Environmental Design Library• Hayden Library• Law Library• Music Library• Noble Science & Engineering Library

ASU Libraries : One Library in ASU Libraries : One Library in Many PlacesMany Places

ASU at the West campus• Fletcher Library

ASU at the Polytechnic campus• Polytechnic Library

ASU at the Downtown Phoenix campus• Downtown campus Library

Full Time Enrollment (FTE) at ASU Full Time Enrollment (FTE) at ASU - Fall 2009- Fall 2009

Tempe campus 48,622

West campus 6,604

Polytechnic campus 5,106

Downtown Phoenix campus 6,655

Total 66,987

ASU Libraries: E-Resources ASU Libraries: E-Resources Collection (2008-09)Collection (2008-09)

• Databases: 500+

• E-Journals: 90,000

• E-Books: 300,000

Need for Usage Statistics at ASUNeed for Usage Statistics at ASU

• Substantial collection of E-Resources

• Prominent role in evaluation of E-Resources by Collection Steering Council (CSC)

• Assists with timely collection development decisions

• Implementation of Web Site in 2007

A- Z Usage Stats Website at ASUA- Z Usage Stats Website at ASU

• Started with 200 packages

• Usage reports for most of the licensed packages

• Identifies COUNTER compliant items

Tools

Minimum tools required:

• Excel

• Notepad

• Secure FTP (optional)

Step #1: Compile necessary data Step #1: Compile necessary data for obtaining the usage reportsfor obtaining the usage reports

• Provider• Storage directory• Resource Type• COUNTER compliant• Usage site URL• User-id• Password• Contact• Status• Reports

Step #2: Decide on a naming Step #2: Decide on a naming convention for the usage reportsconvention for the usage reports

For example:• 2009Jn1-ArticleRequests.xls for Journal Report 1

• 2009Db1-DbSearchesSessions.xls for Database Rpt 1

• 2009Bk1-TitleRequests.xls for Book Report 1

• 2009Usage.xls or 2009Usage.html or more descriptive names for non-COUNTER reports

Step #3: Create local directories Step #3: Create local directories and sub-directoriesand sub-directories

• Create 3 main directories such as journals, databases and eBooks for COUNTER reports

• Create another for non-COUNTER reports

• Create appropriate sub-directories under each

Step #4: Gather and Store usage Step #4: Gather and Store usage reportsreports

• Gather reports from provider

• Save them to the sub-directories discussed in step #3

• Use the names discussed in step #2

Step #5: Create & copy menu Step #5: Create & copy menu page to each storage directorypage to each storage directory

• Create 4 types of “index.html” with links to the various usage reports

• Copy each to appropriate set of sub-directories

Step #6: Create an A-Z menu to Step #6: Create an A-Z menu to the usage web sitethe usage web site

• HTML page (index.html) with just the header and footer syntax

• In Excel create the body portion of the HTML page

Step #7: Transfer sub-directories Step #7: Transfer sub-directories to the web serverto the web server

• Transfer all the directories and its contents to the web server

• Transfer main index.html file

Usage web site

Journals MenuJournals Menu

Calculating Cost Per UseCalculating Cost Per Use

• E7 =$M$1/(COUNTA(A:A)-6)/R7 • E8 =$M$1/(COUNTA(A:A)-6)/R8

Website Challenges

• Obtaining current list of licensed packages • Locating vendor contact• Designating person for receiving usage reports• Requesting usage reports or login information to provider

usage web site and downloading reports• Splitting vendor provided single reports into separate

reports• Generating separate reports for individual databases• Creating Excel reports from CVS or Tab-delimited files• Generating usage reports from web logs

Use of the Assessment Tool for Use of the Assessment Tool for Decision MakingDecision Making

• Usage Statistics: an important criterion in analyzing

e-resources

• Other criteria such as price, interface, content overlap, technology, curriculum need, etc.

• Utilized for Collection Realignment Project

Collection Realignment ProjectCollection Realignment Project

• Collection review project: August, 2008

• Goal: reduce recurring commitment due to budget cut with minimal impact on ASU community

• CSC members consulted subject librarians and public services staff

• Strategies: duplicate formats; low use; existence of programs/research; full-text versus abstracts/indexes

Collection Realignment ProjectCollection Realignment Project

• Resources identified mainly in three areas: Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities

• Potential candidates for cancellation: 178 titles• List shared with faculty through website for feedback • 300+ feedback: most of them positive• Final list: 135 titles (80 databases; 40 e-journals; 15 CD

ROM/print standing orders)• Saving: 6.6% Materials budget

User Survey ResultsUser Survey Results

• 50% - Response rate• 100% - Used the tool• 100% - Serves as a valuable assessment tool • 100% - Assists in timely collection development

decision making process • 57% - Data adequate• 43% - Data not adequate

User Survey Feedback User Survey Feedback

• Explicit definitions for non COUNTER compliant resources

• Requires regular updates of data, cost information

• Organization of data in HTML format

• Host in ERM

Future Plans and ChallengesFuture Plans and Challenges

• ERM implemented in March, 2008 with resource and contact information

• Coverage, usage, and license information - second phase

• Not all providers COUNTER complaint

• Manual process in ERM: usage data requires conversion from non-XML or non- standard XML format to XML format

• SUSHI complaint providers from 71 in 9/2009 to 110 in 5/2010 – 55% increase: http://www.projectcounter.org/r3/cv.pdf

Questions ? ? ? Questions ? ? ?

• Do you have any questions?

• Do you have any comment, feedback?

Smita Joshipura : sjoship@asu.edu

James Carvalho : jjc@asu.edu

Thank You! Thank You!