Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

2012

Publication Title

California Academic Research Libraries Conference

Disciplines

Collection Development and Management | Library and Information Science

Abstract

San José State University’s (SJSU) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library implemented a patron-driven acquisition program on March 1, 2011 to make electronically available a wide collection of items without concurrency limits, meet users’ needs on a timely basis, and maximize the collections budget by purchasing materials as needed and selected by University users. In September 2011, SJSU’s Library implemented a simple widget that requested demographic data from its EBL users. Users identified their status (i.e., faculty, staff, or student) and area of discipline. Correlating these data points with EBL-usage statistics, SJSU librarians and staff have begun to question the validity of long-held assumptions about the habits and needs of its users. Evaluating vendor-provided statistics allows librarians to identify user behaviors to innovatively meet users’ needs in the area of collection development. Analyzed data will inform collection development, specifically which subjects may be complemented by the e-book format. Usage statistics can also indicate how e-books are being used across the campus community and disciplines.

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