Joanna Duy

Usage data for electronic resources: A comparison between locally collected and vendor-provided statistics

Abstract Vendor-provided electronic resource usage statistics are not currently standardized across vendors. This study investigated the feasibility of using locally collected data to check the reliability of vendor-provided data. Vendor-provided data were compared with local data collected from the NCSU Libraries’ Web servers. The study finds that the two types of data correlate well in terms of use patterns, but that actual usage values differ for many products.

An Analysis of Direct Reciprocal Borrowing Among Québec University Libraries

An analysis of Québec academic libraries’ direct reciprocal borrowing statistics from 2005 to 2010 reveals that the physical distance separating universities plays an important role in determining the amount of direct reciprocal borrowing activity conducted between institutions. Significant statistical correlations were also seen between the amount of direct reciprocal borrowing/lending as well as institution size and library collection size. Given their proximity, Montréal-area libraries have a higher ratio of direct reciprocal borrowing activity compared to interlibrary loan consortial borrowing activity, whereas libraries located outside of Montréal have higher interlibrary loan activity compared to direct reciprocal borrowing. It was found that institutions’ net lender and borrower status can shift depending on whether one is looking at direct reciprocal borrowing versus interlibrary loan activity. An exploratory social network analysis of direct reciprocal borrowing among Québec academic libraries was performed, and it affirmed the important role of physical distance in determining direct reciprocal borrowing activity. Language may also play a role in affecting the amount of direct reciprocal borrowing.