Making Usage Data Meaningful a consortium’s attempt to better understand eResource usage Project Team Jill Morris, Assistant Director Emily Guhde, Online Services Librarian Tim Rogers, Executive Director Usage Data Advisory Group Member libraries State Library of North Carolina @ea_guhde

Usage Data Advisory Group Robert Antill, Fayetteville Technical Community College Susanna Boylston, Davidson College Patrick Carr, East Carolina University Deana Guido, Nash Community College Debbie Hargett, Wingate University Derrik Hiatt, Wake Forest University Terry Hill, Durham County Public Library Doug Short, Central Piedmont Community College Mary Sizemore, High Point Public Library John Vickery, NC State University Rob Wolf, UNC-Pembroke Lynda James-Gilboe, ProQuest Dawn Zehner, ProQuest Scott Bernier, EBSCO Steve O’Dell, EBSCO Tim 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 Views Per Full Time Enrollment Full Text Views Per 5,000 of the Legal Service Population LearningExpress Library Number of eCourses, eBooks and Practice Tests Added Per Full Time Enrollment Number of eCourses, eBooks and Practice Tests Added Per 5,000 of the Legal Service Population SimplyMap Number 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

High: Low: 2.89 Mean: Median: 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

Objective 4: Analyze and report qualities of “high usage” libraries 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* Community College Libraries

Trends among libraries in the top third of their peer groups* Community College Libraries *Academic Search Complete Use

Community College Libraries Direct Links to NC LIVE- Provided Resources

Librarians Attend Faculty Meetings Community College Libraries

NC LIVE Committee Representation Community College Libraries

High Number of Total Information Services Per FTE Community College Libraries

High Number of Circulation Transactions Per FTE Community College Libraries

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 Community College Libraries

Four-Year College and University Libraries

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

Trends among libraries in the top third of their peer groups* *Academic Search Complete Use Four-Year College and University Libraries

Authenticate with a Local Proxy Four-Year College and University Libraries

Direct Links to NC LIVE- Provided Resources Four-Year College and University Libraries

Number of Librarians Per 1,000 FTE Four-Year College and University Libraries

NC LIVE Committee Representation Four-Year College and University Libraries

Trends among variables, across all databases Four-Year College and University Libraries

The ways that library users access databases are related to use. Higher use Authenticate with a Local Proxy Federated Search Service Lower Use Link to the NC LIVE Website Authenticate with a Password Display an NC LIVE Search Box Display Descriptive Text About NC LIVE Four-Year College and University Libraries

Community College Libraries & Four-Year College and University Libraries

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 Community College Libraries & Four-Year College and University Libraries

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 Community College Libraries & Four-Year College and University Libraries

Hmm, what is the NC LIVE password? Community College Libraries & Four-Year College and University Libraries

Hmm, what is the NC LIVE password? Community College Libraries & Four-Year College and University Libraries

Hmm, what is the NC LIVE password? Community College Libraries & Four-Year College and University Libraries

Public Libraries

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

Trends among libraries in the top third of their peer groups* *Academic Search Complete Use Public Libraries

Direct Links to NC LIVE- Provided Resources Public Libraries

Chat Reference Box Public Libraries

High Number of Statistics Downloads Public Libraries

High Number of Promotional Items Requests Public Libraries

Staff Training for NC LIVE- Provided Resources Public Libraries

Trends among variables, across all databases 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

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? What does this mean for NC libraries?

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) What does this mean for NC libraries?

Questions or Comments? NC LIVE Jill Emily Thank you!