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At the beginning of the 2012/13 academic year, Vancouver Island University library removed most fines and made other loans changes to improve access to physical collections. One year later, the changes were assessed using circulation data and staff interviews. The removal of fines had no significant effect on borrower return rates and circulation numbers, but did win significant goodwill among users. Library staff believe the changes to be positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of the physical collections and services of academic libraries continues to plummet, with some exceptions, while use of electronic networked resources skyrockets. This article frames the extent of this decline with a focus on circulation and reference among ARL University, Medical, and Law Libraries, the Ivy League, other associations, systems, and individual libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many academic libraries rely on Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries when making collection development decisions. This study examines holdings and use for books reviewed in Choice, books designated by Choice as Outstanding Academic Titles, and the general collections for two groups of libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban social institutions are being exposed to a growing barrage of communications. A preview of future conditions was sought in a contemporary institution already operating at high message input levels, particularly one unable to raise the price of services in accordance with spurts in demand. A many-sided analysis of a library for research and higher education was undertaken. A set of general policies was revealed which first employed economies of scale and then, under conditions of stress, shifted costs to the executive and to the client publics. A communications channel capacity model was developed. Fourteen separate policies, combined to meet the stresses of increasing communications load, were identified. The varied effects of overloading upon spatial organization, physical equipment of central facilities, the decision pattern, morale, and the status structure are treated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses two studies released in 2010 and 2011 regarding the ways in which academic libraries manage and organize print collections for the future. The studies examined were the "Report of the Collection Development Executive Task Force on Print Collection Usage," conducted at Cornell University and published in 2010, and the "Cloud Library project," released in 2011 by a group including the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library at New York University, the Research Collections Access & Preservation Consortium, and OCLC Research. The reports provide statistical analysis regarding the lack of circulation of print monographs, printed books, and the effect of digitization on academic library management.

Academic libraries are challenged with managing collection budgets for purchasing multidisciplinary ebook packages while equitably distributing funds for print and electronic monographs across subjects. McGill Library's science and engineering monograph holdings were analyzed using OCLC's WorldShare Collection Evaluation (WCE). Researchers mapped Conspectus subject divisions and categories to relevant university departments and evaluated holdings in comparison with department metrics to provide a fuller picture for collection development decision making. Findings show that WCE can be used in combination with circulation data and enrollment and staffing numbers to provide insight into the purchasing and use patterns of monographs down to the department level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citation studies and analyses of usage statistics are two approaches academic librarians take to determine if their journal collections support the needs of research faculty. Librarians at a small, regional liberal arts university compiled a list of faculty journal publications covering a thirteen-year span from four academic departments--nursing, chemistry, biology, and mathematics--and, from these publications, generated a list of the journals that were cited. As expected, this university's faculty members publish in many of the same journals that they cite. However, faculty members cite a wide range of sources. Wiley journal usage statistics were examined from 2011 and 2012 to determine if the number of PDF downloads of articles in the published in and cited Wiley journals were higher than the average numbers of PDF downloads of Wiley journals. Combining an analysis of usage statistics with citation analysis provides a more strategic way to look at a Big Deal package. This information is of interest to the departments represented and other stakeholders, and the implications for collection development purposes are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a Web-based survey regarding the circulation of tablets in academic libraries. The survey, which was completed by 61 respondents, identifies the most common circulation policies and procedures used. These results will help other academic institutions develop their own policy or update existing ones. Areas of disagreement raised by the survey are also discussed and avenues for further study are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Queensborough Community College analyzed the usage of their textbook reserve collection. The library discovered the collection is used most often at the beginning of the semester and around exam time. In addition, the library examined which textbooks by subjects circulate the most and the cost of maintaining the collection. The library concluded that the reserve textbook collection was valuable to the students based on the circulation statistics. The usage is three times the circulating collection even though the service is not advertised. The library wants to transition from print material to digital materials to improve access and accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors created a research method to identify local users' needs and explored how well currently available e-book content might meet those needs. Using circulation records, interlibrary loan (ILL) requests, and in-house use as a gauge of patron demand during a three-year period, the study compared these records to e-book offerings from the major aggregators. The resulting data were analyzed by subject and publication date. The authors found that e-book content that might meet users' needs was not uniformly distributed across disciplines and that more recent publications were more likely to have e-book equivalents. The highest percentage of e-book equivalents was for titles requested via ILL, suggesting that this might be the best place to begin e-book collecting. The results suggest that e-books may meet only a fraction of the demand for monographic scholarly output and that libraries cannot yet rely on e-book content to entirely supplant print, although e-book coverage is growing dramatically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the use, outcomes and value of the library's role in scholarly reading helps demonstrate the value library collections bring to scholarship. The Scholarly Reading and the Value of Library Resources project, funded by JISC Collections, measured the value and outcomes to academic staff members from access to scholarly publications. Six higher education institutions in the UK participated in the 2011 survey of scholarly reading. Over 2,000 academic staff members responded to the survey, which asked questions about reading of scholarly articles, books and other materials. Respondents read from a variety of materials, an average of 22 articles, seven books and ten other publications monthly, for an average of 39 scholarly readings per month. Readings from the library are more likely to be for research or teaching and the libraries' e-journal collections are the main source for article readings. Additional reading patterns and outcomes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a computer program developed by the author to extract subject-level usage and inventory data from Aleph system reports and to track usage trends by subject over time. Two implementations of the program are detailed, at the Institute of Fine Arts Library and the East Asian collection at Bobst Library, both at New York University. Use of the program in processing inventory, in-house usage, and circulation data in greater detail is demonstrated. Information about usage trends within major Library of Congress subject areas provides collection managers with more precise data for use in a variety of collection management decisions. The article shows that the program offers significant new functionality for collection assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper begins with an overview of the situation of technical university libraries in the Baltic States during the Soviet era. It analyzes the more recent use of resources together with the costs and financing needed to acquire scientific information. Analysis of the financial opportunities of the three leading technical university libraries indicates that due to disparate funding levels, the opportunities for these libraries to spend resources on scientific information differ greatly from institution to institution. Limited resources account for the considerably lower frequency of library usage, especially of electronic information, in poorly financed libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many academic libraries wrestle with how to provide access to video material. Documentary DVD purchases can cost much more than their book counterparts. Additionally, DVDs are much more sensitive to frequent use, and are easily scratched or damaged. Security and preservation issues have led some libraries to keep video material, especially DVDs, in closed stacks; however, moving a video collection to open stacks better serves patrons' needs and increases visibility and use of the collection. This case study provides an overview and positive outcomes of one library's experience in expanding access to its DVD collection and increasing the scope of its collection development policy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Content-enriched metadata in bibliographic records is considered helpful to library users in identifying and selecting library materials for their needs. The paper presents a study, using circulation data from a medium-sized academic library, of the effect of content-enriched records on library materials usage. The study also examines OPAC search transactions of circulated items to learn how enriched metadata is used. The findings show that enhanced records were overall associated with higher circulation rates and that keyword search was the most frequently used search option directly associated with circulation. Contents data can play a key role in discovery. Libraries should continue to provide and exploit content-enriched metadata. The combination of optimal library system data mining capability, postsearching evaluation, and OPAC display are crucial to achieve content-enriched access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a case study on the correlation between resource availability and academic library performance at the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Library in Mthatha, South Africa utilizing Paul Kantor's branching method. Topics include the Total Contact Time measure of quantitative service assessment, connections between library orientation programs and satisfaction rates among users, and ways that circulation loan periods affect library resource availability.

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the methods of diversity-related collection assessment useful for large academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach - Several examples of diversity-related collection assessment (circulation and use statistics, WorldCat Collection Analysis, comparison to standard bibliographies, focus groups, patron interviews and surveys, stewardship letters, and a diversity collection development statement) are explored. Findings - Libraries wishing to assess a collection for diversity should have a clear definition of diversity in place before assessment. Many collection assessment methods useful for determining the diversity of a collection are not applicable for large libraries. Additional tools may need to be developed to facilitate this type of assessment in the future, especially at large libraries. Originality/value - The paper encourages librarians at larger academic libraries to rethink how the collections are assessed for diversity needs, and illustrates methods useful in performing this assessment in larger institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution we analyse user requests with regard to opening hours of university libraries. The aim of the contribution is to answer five main questions concerning opening hours, such as opening hours in the evening or opening hours during weekends. To answer those questions we surveyed more than 400 library users using a structured questionnaire. The results show that many users would prefer extended opening hours in the evening and during week-ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a problem facing university libraries (UB), namely where to put books and other media, and in particular the concept for making this decision in place at the library at the Europa Universität Viadrina (EUV) in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany. The author discusses three basic questions including, whether a book should be in the reading room, in storage, or culled out of the collection. He also discusses the factors involved in making these decisions.

In March 2006, the Interlibrary Loan unit was physically merged with the Access Services Department (circulation) at the University of Denver, Penrose Library. Consolidating the units into one service desk resulted in a more distributed and efficient workflow. This article describes the process and the impact of the consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper tracks the use of several hundred books at Oakland University that were made available both in print and electronically. This study attempts to determine if there are discernable differences in usage based on format. It also examines usage to determine if collections of books that were locally selected exhibit different usage than those purchased through a consortium. The author concludes that locally selected collections receive greater usage than consortially selected collections. Furthermore, the author finds that usage of a particular title in one format does not correlate to usage of that title in the other, but that there is a relationship between the formats when you compare aggregate circulations/accesses of books based within NetLibrary subject areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Harvard College library records reveal brief, regular periods of intense activity when seniors gained access, although loans tended not to be returned on time, withholding popular works from general use. Borrowers tended to favor more recent works and editions, especially those in English. Seniors' reading was eclectic, with works of history, science, biography, literature, philosophy, mathematics, and medicine represented in addition to theology. After the 1764 fire, a new 'common use' collection mandated for undergraduates better served readers' changing interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of books borrowed from the Siddhartha Engineering College in India. Specifically, the author examines those books borrowed by final-year computer science and engineering students at the school. The methodology of the study is presented, an analysis of the borrowing data is given, and the author's conclusions are detailed. Topics include books borrowed by each gender, decisions librarians have to make regarding which books to buy, and the students' preferences regarding which books they take out of the library. Also discussed is a ranked list of the most frequently used books.

Innovation and change are perennially hot topics in libraries: traditional library services are being rethought in response to emerging needs. At The Ohio State University (OSU) Libraries, a cross-departmental team responded to a new emphasis on assessment and outreach by using the circulation module of our integrated library system (ILS) to measure the use of special collections and archives materials. This endeavor enabled us to streamline workflow and document our successes, increasing knowledge across the libraries about circulation functions and practices. This project's findings may apply at other institutions to assist librarians in planning and implementing such a project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to describe the quantitative evaluation of an engineering monograph approval plan using circulation analysis. Design/methodology/approach - The circulation frequency of titles purchased under the approval plan was analyzed, and compared with the circulation frequency of all engineering books during the same time period, purchased both individually and through the plan. Findings - It was found that 23 percent of the approval plan books circulated, compared with 6 percent of engineering books as a whole. There was considerable variation in circulation frequency between engineering disciplines, but approval plan books circulated much more frequently in all subject areas. Research limitations/implications - This study assesses circulation only during the most recent complete year, which means that the approval plan books are all new books. However, more than half of the books in the engineering collection are less than ten years old. so age is unlikely to be the only reason for the much higher circulation of approval books. Practical implications - Since this evaluation concludes that the approval plan does have value for Rowan University's users, such a plan might be worth considering by other academic libraries looking for a better way to obtain new engineering monographs which serve user needs. Originality/value - While the circulation data described in this study reflect the unique needs of the Rowan University user community, they can serve as a useful benchmark for engineering librarians who want to assess the usage of their monograph collections. The study also has value for academic librarians who are evaluating an approval plan from YBP or another vendor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the use of “percentage of expected use” (Mills 1981) and “ratio of borrowings to holdings” (Aguilar 1986) to analyze data gathered from the automated circulation and interlibrary loan system of the central university libraries, Baylor University, Waco, Texas. The study, limited to circulating monographs with selected LC classification subclasses, revealed the areas of the collections attracting heavy usage and high interlibrary loan requests. The study concluded that although the libraries are meeting the needs of undergraduate and graduate programs, there is need for a closer scrutiny of some areas of the collection that attract less circulation and interlibrary loan requests. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue including the decline in the budgets of academic libraries, the increase of library book collections, and the analysis of the circulating collection and in-house collection.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue including one by Thomas Deardorff and Heidi Nance on WorldCat Local evaluation, one by Sanjay Desale and his colleagues on document supply service evaluation offered by 22 Indian university libraries, and one by Patrick Fleming and Ed King on the British Library programme.