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OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives

ISSN: 1065-075X
Previously published as: OCLC Micro
Currently published as: Digital Library Perspectives
Online from: 1993
Subject Area: Library & Information Science

This journal is indexed by Scopus.

JSTOR usage data and what it can tell us about ourselves: is there predictability based on historical use by libraries of similar size?

Author(s):
Barbara J. Gauger (I.D. Weeks Library, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA)
Carolyn Kacena (School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas, USA)
Citation:
Barbara J. Gauger, Carolyn Kacena, (2006) "JSTOR usage data and what it can tell us about ourselves: is there predictability based on historical use by libraries of similar size?", OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives, Vol. 22 Iss: 1, pp.43 - 55
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10650750610640801
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Acknowledgements:

Ms Kacena is the former library director at both Texas A&M University – Commerce and Texas Woman's University. The research is based on expanded explorations of data originally gathered for TAMU‐C and other TAMU campuses as well as for TWU library management. The authors have been assisted by Carol Dodd, Technical Services Librarian, Texas A&M University – Commerce, Commerce, TX; Peggy Blackburn, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX; David Alexander, Reference/Electronic Resources Librarian, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD; and Robert Russell, Electronic Resources Coordinator, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD.

Abstract:
Sets out to explore what effects institutional size and the selections of JSTOR collections have on the overall (total) usage statistics.

This is a preliminary report of JSTOR use made by five academic libraries of similar size and scale; a sixth smaller campus is used to contrast/support findings. A comparison study of the five institutions' usage was conducted using JSTOR data logs, journal title and subject analysis.

The authors discovered that use of JSTOR is impacted by a complex blend of additional JSTOR collections.

The authors suspect that faculty and their familiarity with the resource, plus information literacy programming, have a greater influence on JSTOR use. This study has identified a need for additional review of bibliographic instruction, integrated information literacy practices and the role of library marketing programs. A study of journal holdings (current and previous) compared with JSTOR usage may prove fruitful for collection management.

The authors expanded the knowledge base by investigating JSTOR usage data from six rural state‐funded institutions in South Dakota and Texas. This preliminary review identified trends in institutional and regional usage within JSTOR collections. Areas of further research are identified.

Keywords:
Digital libraries, Serials management, Collections management, Library users, Data analysis
Type:
Research paper
Publisher:
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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