I don't know if there is a hard and fast rule of thumb on what is 'good usage', but certainly a figure you want to look at is cost per use. Be sure to define 'use' consistently, if possible. Articles downloaded, searches made, something that you should get consistent numbers from the vendors. Speaking of that, make sure the vendors are Counter-compliant.
That being said, there is still the squishy factor. Our school has the only fire science program in the region, and we need the National Fire Code online. Basically, regardless of use, we keep that.
For point of comparison, our EBSCO 'per article' cost is about 2 cents. Not bad. Our other databases aren't nearly so inexpensive, but when budget cut times come, and you see those $18 per use databases, it helps clarify what to cut.
Tony Greiner, Portland Community College
----- Original Message -----
From: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:39 pm
Subject: [ACQNET-L] Good Database Usage
To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> Good Morning Colleagues,
>
> I am in search of the best answer to the following question. I
> am open to
> all answers and suggestions for addressing this problem.
>
> I work at a midsize institution with about 9500 students and 800
> faculty. We
> have many databases ranging from the general such as the
> EBSCOHost and
> Proquest databases to more specific databases such as EconLit
> and Popular
> Culture Universe.
>
> To determine "good" database usage, is there a particular
> formula or
> methodology that you employ to assess the usage?
>
> Thank you, Kimberley Bugg
>
> --
> Follow the luxury librarian on twitter:
> http://twitter.com/luxlibrarian for
> the lastest . . .
>
Tony Greiner/Reference and Instruction Librarian
Portland Community College, Cascade Campus
503-978-5333 "It is better to be wrong than to be vague" -Freeman Dyson
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Received on Fri Nov 20 2009 - 15:46:55 EST