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Counting Overdrive etc

Page history last edited by Kim Miller 12 years, 1 month ago

Original Question (11/10/11):

 

 Michael Golrick (LA)

 

I just finished a conversation with a staff member at a library. She is (as am I) interested in the issue of how we count Overdrive.

 

I told her that for now, we are counting it as a database, and its uses as database uses. Part of my justification for this is the part of the instructions under 451 (as well as 453 and 455) about inclusion in the library’s catalog. I would note, however, that 453 and 455 have language which is slightly different than 451 in that they refer to “or through a physical library catalog.”

 

Now, here are some of the questions and issues I have. What if the library maintains a separate catalog for all of its electronic media (e-books, audio downloads, video downloads)? Does this count as an OPAC and mean that Overdrive titles can now be counted as e-books in 451?

 

One point she made, that had not occurred to me, was that they select individual titles *and* that because they can be used by one user at a time, sometimes multiple copies. (They seem more and more like books to me when this language is used.)

 

If that is true (we count these titles in the 450 series), we should then be counting their uses as circulation (item 550) not database uses (hmmmm, this is not even reported nationally, although we collect it for the state).

 

So I guess my issues are these:

  1. We need to make the language consistent among the 450 series data items
  2. What constitutes “a physical library catalog” (if we keep that language)
  3. Is their use circulation? [If it is, I skews turnover rates (thanks, Bruce), but if the titles are part of the collection, there is not really a skew, I think.]
  4. Or maybe better yet: what are we trying to capture?

 

I, like many of you, have a holiday tomorrow. I thought I’d cap off the week with this. Perhaps the discussion can continue in Kansas City (fresh on my mind with reservation info being received today). In any case, enjoy the weekend, short or long.

 


 

SDC Comments:

 

Scott Dermont (IA)

 

We count overdrive as individual titles because the consortia has control over collection development. We also track circulation for this, and I’m subtotaling so that it shows differently from circulation of physical items. Seems really messy to me, especially since it seems like we aren’t counting this consistently at the federal level.

 

 


 

Lauren Miklovic (RI)

 

Rhode Island does the same thing as Scott's libraries. I have no objection to counting Overdrive either way, but it does seem like it would benefit us to be consistent.

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