UKSG Usage Statistics for Decision Making: London

Course summary/why you should attend

Libraries have access to more data than ever before about the way that their electronic resources are being used by readers, and advances in standardisation led by the COUNTER initiative are making these more accessible and reliable as a basis for decision making.

At the same time, public sector institutions are being asked to make extremely difficult choices about priorities for spending.  Although this presents huge challenges, it can also be an impetus to change the ways in which services are provided.

This seminar offers invaluable background information on how usage statistics are collated and what they do and do not measure, as well as case studies demonstrating how statistics are informing the decision-making process in real life, and gives delegates the chance to share their own experiences, positive and negative, with using statistics for decision making.

Course level and previous knowledge required

This course is at intermediate/advanced level, and aimed at those who already have some experience of gathering usage statistics.  It will be of particular interest to librarians and library managers working in the further and higher education sector but may also be of interest to those working in other areas of the scholarly information industry.

Please note: We also highly recommend the UKSG Usage Statistics Training Seminar, a practical workshop on gathering and manipulating usage statistics which is run twice a year.

Learning objectives

Delegates will:
• learn about how usage statistics are created and what they actually mean
• learn about practical ways in which e-journal and e-book usage statistics have been used by staff in university libraries to inform decision-making processes
• discuss their own experiences of gathering and manipulating usage statistics in order to make financial, management, and service decisions.

Fee

UKSG members:   £175.00 + £35.00 VAT [20%] (total £210.00) 
Non-members:     £225.00 + £45.00 VAT [20%] (total £270.00)

The fee includes refreshments and lunch.

Venue

The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (Library)
1 Carlton House Terrace
London
SW1Y 5DB
     
Tel.:  020 7451 7300 (Reception)

Programme

10.00  Registration and coffee

10.20  Welcome and introduction by the Chair and UKSG representative
Kate Price, Head of E-Strategy & Resources, University of Surrey

10.30  What do usage statistics actually measure and what should libraries watch out for?  
Sonja Lendi, Usage Research Manager, Elsevier BV

11.10  Apples, oranges and other unfair comparisons: ensuring decisions are based on reliable information  
Kate Price, Head of E-Strategy & Resources, University of Surrey

11.50  Break

12.10  Panel discussion

12.30  Lunch

13.30  Evaluating the Big Deal: what metrics matter?  
Selena Killick, Library Quality Officer, Cranfield University

14.10  IReL: the place of usage statistics in making difficult decisions  
Monica Crump, Head of Information Access and Learning Services, National University of Ireland, Galway
Arlene Healy, Sub-Librarian, Digital Systems and Services, Trinity College Library Dublin

14.50  Tea

15.10  Panel discussion

15.30  Open forum
Delegates are invited to speak about issues and challenges they have encountered with usage statistics and to share ideas with fellow practitioners.  Comments are welcome on the day but, to make this forum more effective, delegates are invited to submit their questions/issues for the panel, via the UKSG Administrator, at the time of booking.

16.00  Feedback and evaluation forms

16.15  Close of seminar

How to book

The closing date for booking for this course has now passed.  For further information please contact Karen Sadler at UKSG by e-mail:  karen@uksg.org  or by telephone: +44 (0)1865 310834.

Venue location details will be sent with confirmation of booking.

Cancellations

By Wednesday 25 January 2012: full refund
From Thursday 26 January 2012: no refund

NB:  UKSG reserves the right to alter or vary the programme due to events or circumstances beyond its reasonable control without being obliged to refund monies.