March 19, 2014

Question

Diana Very (GA)

I have a question about how everyone is counting e-books, but not the discussion about e-books or database.

I changed my process this year by counting the e-books at the AE level and not counting them for each of the branches. My reasoning is that the AE is the level that paid for the units and therefore the units should only be counted at the AE level. All outlets use the units, but they are still only paid for by the AE.

Since more library systems are buying e-books through a consortium in Georgia, I am having different answers from libraries on how they count. I thought that I explained this but apparently not. I found many wanted to count the circulation but didn't count them as part of the collection. I also found that the libraries want to lump e-books, downloadable audio, downloadable video together as one number.

It's been difficult to get any good data. I was wondering if anyone else has had these problems. I'm going to do some training in May at our state-wide directors' meeting, but this year my data is faulty.

Any helpful ideas?

SDC Comments

Terry Blauvelt (MO)

I ended up separating the questions into “Library Held E-Books” and “Consortia Held E-Books” as the libraries tend to view them as one in the same otherwise. I did the same thing with downloadable audio. The consortia’s in Missouri select and hold the books, while the member libraries pay a subscription fee for access to a max number of e-materials. The greater the level of subscription the higher the subscription fee. I have no use for the number in “Consortia Held E-Books” (likely 10,701 per member library), but think it may get me more realistic numbers for the “Library Held E-Books.”

I won’t run this until this fall (FY14), but it will be better (at least easier on me) than last year. Last year’s numbers were a great improvement over FY12. I’m not sure at what point I would deem the data as reliable.

Laura Stone (AZ)

Yes, I agree that ebooks counts are best at the AE level, not the outlet level. It’s my experience that they are owned by the system as a whole, not a branch.

Our survey has “sections” for ebooks, audio books, music and video downloads, and we ask the libraries to list each product, whether it is consortial or not, the number of units and circ for the library. We review carefully to make sure that a “database” wasn’t included in the list of products. We then auto add the download circs to physical circs for total circs.  Because we show the consortial purchases in the download units, we don’t provide county or statewide totals for that measure.

This year, AZ used the “Is it a database?” chart at http://plsc.pbworks.com/w/page/75289169/Is%20it%20a%20database , as the authority on whether to include or not. That said, I got some pushback on Zinio, Freading and Tumblebooks. Here’s what one librarian told me: “As far as Freading and TumbleBooks goes, I guess OneClickDigital could also go with databases then because we didn't select their multiuse audiobook titles. Now we also have the single-use titles and will have to differentiate and count audiobooks in two way, huh?  Sounds like the national folks need to work on their definition of  eBooks - since declaring them a database if titles aren't pre-selected falsely/inaccurately reports the availability of these resources in public libraries - just what I thought they were trying to find out!”

I think downloadables are still a work in progress!

Robert Jones (IL)

Thank s again Laura for pointing me in the right direction with my Zinio question.  The "Is it a database" referral was extremely helpful and I will definitely be turning to it often for FY14 data submission.

Nicolle Steffen (CO)

Like Laura, I’m getting pushback on Zinio as a database. The reasons: 1) libraries choose the magazine titles (unlike Freegal) and 2) patrons check-out the whole magazine (unlike a database of articles).

Is this something we should reconsider for next year? Did we get rid of data element “459 Current Electronic Serial Subscriptions” too soon?

Something to consider…

Joyce Chapman (NC)

We do not count Zinio as a database for the reasons you mention. We have a question for e-periodicals and another for the circulation of e-periodicals. We count Zinio there, and the number is fed into IMLS’ new question ELMATCIR (total electronic materials circulation).

Nicolle Steffen (CO)

Thanks Joyce--I like your strategy and we are considering doing something similar next year in Colorado. However, if Colorado libraries diverge from what other states are doing I fear our data will not be comparable for several key statistics and ultimately it will undermine our collection. It’s a bit of a dilemma.