December 14, 2015
Question
Janet Eklund (NH)
NH State Library provides access to digital magazines through its downloadable books package with Overdrive. Should the total magazines and usage be reported and if so, where in the PLS?
The magazines don’t “circulate” as they don’t get returned after download, but they do get “checked out.”
Thanks for input from the collective brain.
SDC Comments
Michael Golrick (LA)
I would count the use as database use, just like for articles from EBSCO … the newly approved data element will capture that use.
Amy Heebner (NY)
I got the same question about Overdrive magazines last week. So as the survey stands now the library would just count Overdrive as a collection and nothing more (ie no circ, no individual titles)?
Just to clarify, if they were Overdrive books we would count them as e-books and count their circulation, correct?
Comments (2)
Christy Chandler said
at 11:51 pm on Jul 27, 2016
Hi Amy,
Did you ever get an answer whether Overdrive magazines were being counted as a database or as circulation? I also had them ask about ComicsPlus and whether it would be counted as a database or as circulation. I appreciate any input.
Thanks,
Christy Chandler (TN)
Michael Golrick said
at 1:15 am on Jul 28, 2016
Christy-
Our discussions in December lead me to confirm that Overdrive Magazines is a database (not unlike EBSCO, where, if you search by title you can browse full issues of magazines). Therefore it counts as one database. In my state, we have been counting use of databases, and beginning with the next cycle, that will be a new data element able to be reported. It seems like the key concept is whether use is limited to a number (one or larger) of users at a time. If so, and the use expires, then it counts as a circulation, and the item should be counted in the collection. Otherwise, it is a database.
Hope that helps.
Michael Golrick
Louisiana
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