UKSG Usage Data for Decision Making

Those with a responsibility for overseeing the management of library collections have more access than ever to statistical data to assist with evaluation and to justify return on investment, and enhancement of the user experience. Understanding the library's use of this data is also vital for publishers.   Advances in standardisation led by the COUNTER initiative have made statistics more accessible and reliable as a basis for decision making.

Increasingly, libraries are being asked to make extremely difficult decisions about the priorities for their spending within a strategic context.  Although this presents huge challenges, it can also be an impetus to change the ways in which services are provided. Publishers need to be aware of what statistics librarians are looking at and how they are being used to inform collection development.

This seminar provides illustrations by expert decision makers on how statistics are used to make strategic decisions.  It will also present the challenges, such as demonstrating value and presenting data to different audiences.  Future developments within the field will also be addressed, together with considerations of how these will impact on decision making in the future, for example new approaches to analytics.  There will be discussion on how the development of open access is impacting on usage behaviour and influencing considerations for collection development.

Delegates will have the opportunity to reflect on the role of statistics in the broader context of further and higher education, and the culture of assessment that is becoming increasingly prominent within the sector.  There will be the chance to share experiences, positive and negative, of using statistics for decision making and delegates will be encouraged to actively participate throughout the day.

This seminar is aimed at both those in libraries who need to analyse or interpret usage data to support decision making about resources and collections, within a strategic context.  It will be of interest to those with a responsibility for overseeing the management and evaluation of library collections in the further and higher education sector, and who need to demonstrate impact and value to senior leadership teams, rather than those involved in the operational role.  It may also be of interest to those working in other areas of the scholarly information industry.  It will also be of importance to publishers who need to understand the collection development decisions of their customers.

Please note: This seminar does not cover the practical aspects of collecting usage data, or of creating reports.  These topics are covered by the UKSG Practical Usage Statistics for Librarians seminar, a hands-on workshop on gathering and manipulating usage statistics.

Delegates will:

• learn about ways in which library resource usage statistics have been used by staff in university libraries to inform decision-making processes
• develop an understanding of how usage statistics can be used to demonstrate value from a publisher perspective 
• gain knowledge of the impact of open access publishing on usage statistics and demonstrating value
• gain a greater insight into the wider environment and context in which usage statistics decision making is carried out and new approaches to this
• have an opportunity to discuss and share experiences of gathering and manipulating usage statistics to make financial, management and service decisions, as well as evidencing value.