Making Usage Data Meaningful a consortium’s attempt to better understand eResource usage Project...

Making Usage Data Meaningfula consortium’s attempt to better understand eResource usage

Project Team

Jill Morris, Assistant DirectorEmily Guhde, Online Services LibrarianTim Rogers, Executive Director

Usage Data Advisory Group

Member librariesState Library of North

CarolinaEBSCO

ProQuest@nclive @jillianemorris @ea_guhde

Usage Data Advisory GroupRobert Antill, Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeSusanna Boylston, Davidson CollegePatrick Carr, East Carolina UniversityDeana Guido, Nash Community CollegeDebbie Hargett, Wingate UniversityDerrik Hiatt, Wake Forest UniversityTerry Hill, Durham County Public LibraryDoug Short, Central Piedmont Community College

Mary Sizemore, High Point Public LibraryJohn Vickery, NC State UniversityRob Wolf, UNC-PembrokeLynda James-Gilboe , ProQuestDawn Zehner, ProQuestScott Bernier, EBSCOSteve O’Dell, EBSCOTim Bucknall, UNC-Greensboro and Carolina Consortium (Ex-Officio)Joyce Chapman, State Library of North Carolina (Ex-Officio)

The Consortium Perspective:Data to make decisions about NC LIVE services

Examples:• How do we decrease cost-per-use/maximize

ROI?

• How do authentication methods impact use?

• What kind of impact do discovery tools have?

• Are libraries downloading and using usage statistics via nclive.org?

The Library Perspective:

What kind of use should we be seeing for our library?

The Library Perspective:

What kind of use should we be seeing for our library?

What can we do to improve use of these resources?

Research Project Objectives:

1. Identify peer groupings of North Carolina libraries

2. Identify data points to measure usage of each studied database

3. Develop a framework for creating usage benchmarks in each peer group

4. Analyze and report qualities of “high usage” libraries

This study does not:

• Determine if a library’s use is “good” or “bad”• Determine if a database’s use is “good” or

“bad”• Define the value of NC LIVE-provided

databases• Explain why certain factors may impact

database use

Objective 1: Identify peer groupings of North Carolina libraries

•Gathered basic information about libraries• Decided what information to use as criteria for grouping• Formed peer groups

Objective 1: Identify peer groupings of North Carolina libraries

Objective 2: Identify data points to measure usage of each studied database

Use = ?Searches? Sessions? Full Text Views?

Database

Use for Community College Libraries and Four-Year College and University Libraries

Use for Public Libraries

Academic Search Complete, MasterFILE

Complete and Wall Street Journal

Full Text ViewsPer Full Time Enrollment

Full Text ViewsPer 5,000 of the Legal

Service Population

LearningExpress Library

Number of eCourses, eBooks and Practice Tests AddedPer Full Time Enrollment

Number of eCourses, eBooks and Practice Tests

AddedPer 5,000 of the Legal

Service Population

SimplyMapNumber of Sessions Initiated

Per Full Time Enrollment

Number of Sessions Initiated

Per 5,000 of the Legal Service Population

Definitions of Use

Objective 3: Develop a framework for creating usage benchmarks in each peer group

Library 1

Library 2

Library 3

Library 4

Library 5

Library 6

Library 7

Library 8

Library 9

Library 10

Library 11

Library 12

Library 13

Library 14

Library 15

Library 16

Library 17

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

Chart 1: Academic Search CompletePeer Group CU-E

Four-year colleges and universities

Use

per F

TE

High: 19.19Low: 2.89Mean: 10.12Median: 9.48

Peer Group and Benchmarking Analysis

• No one library is at the very top or bottom of its peer group for usage across all resources

• Database use varies widely, even among peer institutions

• Summit Feedback: • Flexible peer groups may be more useful than

permanent peer groups

Objective 4: Analyze and report qualities of “high usage” libraries


Qualities such as:• Access & Authentication• Content & Collections• Awareness, Outreach & Support• Community Characteristics• Library Characteristics


Analyses:• Cross-tabs• Difference of means

tests• Multiple regression

Qualities such as:• Access & Authentication• Content & Collections• Awareness, Outreach & Support• Community Characteristics• Library Characteristics

Community College Libraries

Trends among libraries in the top third of their peer groups*




*Academic Search Complete Use


Bottom libraries (n=19)

Middle libraries (n=20)

Top libraries (n=17)

0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

Direct Links to NC LIVE-Provided Resources




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

Librarians Attend Faculty Meetings


NC LIVE Committee Representation




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo


High Number of Total Information Services Per

FTE




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo


High Number of Circulation Transactions Per FTE




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo



Trends among variables, across all databases

Librarian-faculty interactions are related to higher database use.

• Embedded Librarians in Academic Courses• Librarian-Initiated Engagement with Academic Departments• Library Orientation Programs for Faculty Members• Marketing Aimed at Faculty Members• Librarians Attending Faculty Meetings


Four-Year College and University Libraries

Authenticate with a Local Proxy




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo


Direct Links to NC LIVE-Provided

Resources




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo


Number of Librarians Per 1,000 FTE




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo


NC LIVE Committee Representation





0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

The ways that library users access databases are related to use.

Higher useAuthenticate with a Local

ProxyFederated Search Service

Lower UseLink to the NC LIVE Website

Authenticate with a PasswordDisplay an NC LIVE Search Box

Display Descriptive Text About NC LIVE


Community College Libraries & Four-Year College and University Libraries


Variables that predict use

• Authenticate with a Local Proxy• Discovery Service• Chat Reference Box

• Mobile Library Website or App

• Electronic Materials Expenditures Per Full Time Enrollment

• Staff Training for NC LIVE-Provided Resources

• NC LIVE Committee Representation

• Total Library Expenditures Per Full Time Enrollment

• Number of Librarians Per 1,000 of Full Time Enrollment

• Librarian-Initiated Engagement With Academic Departments

• UNC Institution

• NCICU Institution


Hmm, what is the NC

LIVE password?


Public Libraries

Direct Links to NC LIVE-Provided

Resources




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

Public Libraries

Chat Reference Box




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

Public Libraries

High Number of Statistics

Downloads




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

Public Libraries

High Number of Promotional Items

Requests




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

Public Libraries

Staff Training for NC LIVE-Provided

Resources




0%10%

20%30%

40%50%

60%70%

80%90%

100%

YesNo

Public Libraries


Public Libraries

The type of community that the library serves is related to database use.

• Percent of Legal Service Population with a Bachelor’s Degree• Number of Statistics Downloads from the NC LIVE Website• Population Density• Total Operating Expenditures Per Legal Service Population

Public Libraries

Variables that predict use

Public Libraries

• Direct Links to NC LIVE-Provided Resources

• Authenticate with EasyOn

• Chat Reference Box

• Number of Statistics Downloads from the NC LIVE Website

• Patron Instruction for NC LIVE-Provided Resources

• Number of Public Internet Computers Per 5,000 of the Legal Service

Population

• Percent of Legal Service Population that are Registered Library Users

• Percent of Legal Service Population with a Bachelor's Degree

Public Libraries

• Direct Links to NC LIVE-Provided Resources

• Authenticate with EasyOn

• Chat Reference Box

• Number of Statistics Downloads from the NC LIVE Website

• Patron Instruction for NC LIVE-Provided Resources

• Number of Public Internet Computers Per 5,000 of the Legal Service

Population

• Percent of Legal Service Population that are Registered

Library Users

• Percent of Legal Service Population with a Bachelor's Degree

Public Libraries

Public Libraries

Plan for future NC LIVE services related to usage data

• How does your library use usage data?• What do you want from usage data

versus what will you actually use?• What’s a requirement v. what’s a “nice-

to-have”?

What does this mean for NC libraries?

Share findings• Summarize best practices for member

libraries

• How will you use these findings in your library?• To provide evidence/support for change?

• What format is best?


Resource Selection

NC LIVE licenses databases for all NC libraries every 3 years.

We’ll need to work with the NC LIVE Resources Advisory Committee and vendors to develop usage reports and data that assist in collection assessment.

How can we become better informed consumers: Success = ???????? (for individual libraries, for consortia)


Questions or Comments?

NC LIVE http://nclive.org@nclive

Jill [email protected]@jillianemorris

Emily [email protected]@ea_guhde

Thank you!

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Making Usage Data Meaningful a consortium’s attempt to better understand eResource usage Project...

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