Usage Statistics of E‐serials

Citation

Osorio, N.L. (2010), "Usage Statistics of E‐serials", Collection Building, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 37-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604951011015295

It has been nearly ten years since the electronic journal became – for the academic community – a possible solution to the pricing crisis in scholarly publications. This topic, the crisis in scholarly communication, has been extensively discussed in professional conferences and journals for at least the last 20 years. Today, electronic journals have made the professional literature readily accessible to scholars; therefore, their acceptance is now almost unanimous. But libraries are still dealing with the escalating cost of acquiring journals; the pricing problem of serials is still a major economic burden for academic and specialized libraries.

This volume has come at the right time. David Fowler is a well‐known researcher in serials circles; he is Head of the Acquisitions Department at the University of Oregon Library. Fowler has published several articles on serials management and was the editor of E‐serials Collection Management: Transitions, Trends and Technicalities (Haworth Press, 2004).

After several years of experimenting with different models, usage statistics for e‐serials have risen to a more mature stage; this book presents current trends in this area. The 17 chapters were written by 29 contributors, representing a spectrum of expertise across several settings and approaches. In reading this book one realizes that usage statistics are emerging as a primary criterion for the evaluation of electronic journal collections.

What are some of the main concerns addressed in this volume? The process of standardizing usage statistics is presented in several chapters (2, 15 and 17); the validity of data collected is still under discussion, and the statistical data collected for the marketing of the electronic collection is an interesting case study about how data are being utilized.

The advantages and pitfalls of usage data indicate another major concern; further, cost associated with e‐journals continues to be a core issue. Some other topics included are: data collection and interpretation, data collection software selection and usage, and the usage of statistical data as one part of decision‐making process for the management of collections. Most articles are based on the results of case studies.

This book is recommended reading for all academic, public and specialized librarians but is a must‐read for anyone involved in electronic collections management. It also would be an excellent source for students of library science programs as well. It should be part of the collection of academic, large public and special libraries.