I’m responding on-list because I wanted to share my own frustration with ILS’s circulation data. Getting this kind of detailed data from ILS’s has been difficult. Our system (III) provides current year and previous year circs only at that item level. We can generate summary reports by various factors, including call number ranges, but our ranges (Statistical Categories) are rather antiquated, very difficult to change, and once changed, can disrupt longitudinal studies. And then there’s the issue of switching systems – whole sets of data are wiped out. I believe this is one reason that circulation studies have dried up since the 1990’s – we used to be able to get such detailed circulation data by tracking cards. Now, it takes a whole new method of tracking circs at the item level.
I’d like for my library to participate in your study, but we do not have the data you (we all) need. Online book usage data has improved on this – we can get usage data at the item level on a monthly basis. But that doesn’t help us with physical circulation.
Karen R. Harker, MLS, MPH
Collection Assessment Librarian
University of North Texas Libraries
1155 Union Circle #305190
Denton , TX 76203-5017
940-565-2688
Karen.harker_at_unt.edu<mailto:Karen.harker_at_unt.edu>
Librariesareforuse.wordpress.com<http://librariesareforuse.wordpress.com/>
From: colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org <colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org> On Behalf Of Melissa Belvadi
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2019 12:48 PM
To: colldv_at_lists.ala.org
Subject: [EXT] [ALCTS-colldv] looking for print book circ data 10+ years back at annual/title level
Hello, colleagues.
I am looking to do a major quantitative research project on sabbatical next year, involving analyzing the circulation pattern of print books over time at a title and LC class level.
I have my own institution's data but would like to have at least one more, ideally a library/system much larger than my own (we're a 4,200 FTE school).
I've been finding it very hard so far to find the kind of data set I need as far back as I need, as it seems most libraries seem to lose the granularity of their circ transaction data when they change ILS systems.
This is what I need. If you have this kind of data for your institution and would be interested in sharing it with me in exchange for my providing an analysis on it for you, please contact me offlist.
* Institution size: at least 20,000 undergrad FTE (plus whatever grad students you have)
* Primarily English-language collection, ideally in North America or a Commonwealth country
* Data per book title (could be volume):
* Either raw circulation transaction data or if summary counts at worst a calendar year summation for at least 10 years back, ideally 20 or more
* ISBN, Title, LC Call Number, and Publication Year
I do NOT need any information about the patrons involved in the transactions, so no privacy issues. My research is focused on collection subject use, not patron behavior per se (aside from of course the behavior of actually checking a book out).
My research is going to involve both print and ebook usage, so if you happen to have what I need in print AND also have at least 7 years' of COUNTER data on a substantial (5,000+ titles) ebook collection as well, I could provide you an even more interesting subject analysis of your patrons' monograph usage trends. But at this point I'd be happy to get the print data set alone.
Thank you for considering this request.
Melissa Belvadi
Collections Librarian
University of Prince Edward Island
mbelvadi_at_upei.ca<mailto:mbelvadi_at_upei.ca> 902-566-0581
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Received on Mon Aug 19 2019 - 16:29:22 EDT