Stacey,
Unless your library is so wealthy that you buy one of everything, usage statistics are gold. They tell you how well your collection is doing and what you might do to make your collection better. They are the way to justify the thousands of dollars your library spends on materials. They tell you things user surveys never could. In fact, some larger libraries have created positions to collect and manipulate usage statistics. Ebook statistics are just a part of the picture, although an easy part. Look at circulation and ILL usage to really get a feel for what your users want.
Cheers!
Forrest Link
Acquisitions Librarian
The College of New Jersey Library
----- Original Message -----
From: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
To: "Acqnet" <acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 11:45:09 AM
Subject: [ACQNET-L] Ebook Usage Statistics - do you use them for anything?
All
Over the years, I have attended several sessions at ALA and other conferences about collecting ebook usage statistics. Those sessions always seemed to be focused on how to collect or the mechanics of collecting, not how to use the statistics.
Is anyone using ebook usage statistics for collection purposes? Weeding purposes? (Currently we are not removing any ebook titles from our catalog). Decision making purposes?
I am trying to determine what useful, actionable information I can get out of my ebook statistics.
Stacey
Stacey Marien
Acquisitions Librarian
American University Library
smarien_at_american.edu
202-885-3842
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--
Forrest E. Link
Acquisitions Librarian
The College of New Jersey Library
linkf_at_tcnj.edu
609.771.2412
609.637.5177(fax)
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Received on Thu Jun 12 2014 - 12:31:31 EDT