1 / 14

Impact of Library Discovery Technologies on Academic Content Usage

This study evaluates the impact of library discovery technologies on academic content usage in UK higher education settings. Commissioned by UKSG/Jisc in July 2013, the study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness and challenges of implementing these technologies. Through surveys, case studies, and stakeholder interviews, the research aims to inform stakeholders about the benefits and considerations associated with investing in and engaging with library discovery technologies. The findings highlight usage trends, experiences, challenges, and recommendations for supporting the discovery and usage of academic resources. Collaboration is emphasized as a key factor for success in maximizing the potential of these technologies.

oconnell
Download Presentation

Impact of Library Discovery Technologies on Academic Content Usage

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

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

  2. 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)

  3. 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

  4. 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

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

  6. 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

  7. LIBRARIES –usage data and experiences Multi-dimensional environment ***** Difficult to isolate the sole effect of RDS ***** Multitude of other factors at play? • Journals – mixed picture, possibly some positive influence to varied extent • E-books – positive correlation • Database results were inconclusive • 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

  8. 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?

  9. Engagement - can publishers afford to wait and see where this is going? 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

  10. Conclusions • There is a lot of dataout 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

  11. What next? Recommendations

  12. Recommendations

  13. Recommendations

  14. THANK YOU! Report available on the UKSG website: http://www.uksg.org/researchstudy Get in touch with us! v.c.l.spezi@lboro.ac.ukorlisu@lboro.ac.uk

More Related