Evaluation of the impact of library discovery technologies on usage of academic content Valérie Spezi, LISU (Loughborough University, UK) UKSG Webinar – 14 th May 2014

Why this study? Commissioned by UKSG/Jisc in July 2013  Lots of interest in library discovery technologies  Questions about whether libraries, publishers and other stakeholders should be engaging with those technologies Small-scale study  A UK perspective  No previous usage data analyses at the time - fills in the gap  Complements the 2 other studies that are currently taking place Report available on UKSG website (Dec 2013)

Objectives of the research  Evaluation of the impact of library discovery technologies on usage of academic resources  Provide evidence to determine if there is a case for Investment in library discovery technologies by libraries Engagement with library discovery technologies by publishers and other stakeholders in the information supply chain  Provide recommendations for stakeholders to best support the discovery of academic resources  Identify additional research, data, discussion and initiatives that will support the findings of the study

Methodology Phase 1: survey of UK HE libraries  Objective: determine the current RDS landscape  Online questionnaire to UK HE library directors – 62 respondents Phase 2: case studies of libraries and publishers  Objective: collect usage data + views and perceptions on the impact of library discovery technologies  8 publishers and content providers; 6 case study libraries; Data received from 6 libraries & 4 content providers - COUNTER JR1, BR2 and DB1 or close equivalent (2 years pre and post-RDS implementation) Phase 3: interviews with stakeholders  Objective: obtain a bigger picture on the perceived impact of library discovery technologies and an insight of where the sector is going

Findings 1.UK RDS landscape (survey findings) 2.Libraries – usage trends & experiences 3.Publishers and content aggregators – usage trends & perceptions

RDS landscape 77% of UK HE libraries already using an RDS at their institution A further 11% are in the process of implementing an RDS RDS implementation in HE libraries had probably reached its peak in the last 12 months Summon, Primo and EDS – 76% of systems in use

Journals – mixed picture, possibly some positive influence to varied extent E-books – positive correlation Database results were inconclusive LIBRARIES –usage data and experiences Improved user experience through a single search interface linked to full-text – high level of satisfaction One stop shop experience for users Better use of subscriptions – no silos Possibly a positive influence of RDS on content usage, most visibly for e-books Multi-dimensional environment ***** Difficult to isolate the sole effect of RDS ***** Multitude of other factors at play? Multi-dimensional environment ***** Difficult to isolate the sole effect of RDS ***** Multitude of other factors at play?

LIBRARIES –usage data and experiences Perceived challenges *********************** Lack of clarity in coverage - RDS coverage of subscribed resources ‘believed’ to be 50% or more – gaps in some disciplines Lack of cooperation between some vendors is a concern – not helpful according to libraries Interoperability between library systems – ‘ecosystem’ No routine analysis of the RDS usage data (yet) RDS searching aimed at undergrads? Starting point? Can researchers benefit from RDS too?

PUBLISHERS –usage data and experiences Key motivation - improving discoverability & visibility of content Publishers have no clear evidence of their usage is being affected by RDS difficult to isolate traffic mediated by RDS Still low traffic compared to search engines Our usage study shows a very mixed picture for publishers Some publishers may benefit more from RDS than bigger publishers Perceived challenges: Metadata –compatibility and optimisation for improved discoverability Dilution of the publisher’s brand within the RDS Lack of feedback/communication from RDS suppliers Lack of clarity and understanding of how data are used  Relevancy ranking Engagement - can publishers afford to wait and see where this is going?

Conclusions There is a lot of data out there but it is imperfect Fantastic tool for library end-users but more work needs to be done to take full advantage of RDS technology Collaboration is key to success

What next? Recommendations

Libraries  Library community working closely with bodies such as SCONUL, RLUK, UKSG, Jisc  Consider issue of interoperability between products from different vendors vs. moving into a particular vendor’s ecosystem  Engage in cross-sectorial talks to understand better how minor changes in the RDS settings can affect usage of certain resources RDS suppliers  Working towards an open communication with libraries and content owners/providers  Consider user-testing for publishers and content providers  Provide clearer information about what is indexed by the RDS  Support the development of working relationships between competing suppliers on the issue of disclosure and exchange of data for the benefit of end-users … etc.

Recommendations Publishers  Engage and work closely with libraries and RDS suppliers to optimise content discoverability  Voice the need for more communication and feedback from RDS suppliers Other stakeholders  Monitor developments led by COUNTER 4, particularly in the area of database usage  Inclusion of usage data from RDS suppliers and link resolvers in initiatives such as JUSP or KB+  Development of a COUNTER code of practice for RDS usage data  COUNTER, NISO, ODI to work together and establish industry standards  Support new research

THANK YOU! Report available on the UKSG website: Get in touch with us! or