I'm sure all of you have heard that there is a moratorium in effect with respect to adding or changing any elements in either the FSCS or the StLA surveys. That does not mean however that we cannot continue to have our traditional, spirited discussions about elements that we want to see changed, added, or deleted; and we certainly don't have to wait for the December meeting.
As a group we don't seem to be much for blogging, at least not yet. So I'll be watching my email as well as this blog spot in the next few days for responses to the following posting. For the moment, I'll just copy below the three draft proposals that I currently have in hand.
The subjects of these proposals should be familiar to all, namely Homepage Visits and Audio/Video Downloads. Please note that current definitions for audios, videos, and e-books are included at the end of this posting for your convenience.
Comments?
New Element Draft Proposals - 2006
Proposed Addition #1
Annual Number of Views of Library’s Home Page
ANNUAL NUMBER OF VIEWS OF A LIBRARY'S HOME PAGE.
This is the number of times the library’s home page is viewed by any visitor to the library’s website. A page can be viewed more than once by the same visitor, and each view should be counted.
There is a lot of pressure on FSCS to begin to develop output measures for electronic/digital/networked services. Despite the increasing political pressure for such measures, there are intractable difficulties associated with counting many things such as virtual visits. In the case of virtual visits many libraries cannot distinguish between visitors to the library website from within and outside the library facility. To avoid this dilemma, the proposed data element does not call for this distinction.The library’s home page is the focus of this data element—rather than the library website—because a library home page is a common denominator. Many, perhaps even most, libraries have fairly sophisticated websites; but, all libraries that have any website will have a home page.This approach was chosen in the hope that it will avoid most, if not all, of the potential complications created by libraries using different types of web statistics software. It is believed that all or at least the overwhelming majority of libraries should be able to ascertain this figure. If they cannot at present, they can make arrangements to do so without unjustifiable hardship.This measure is regarded as a realistic proxy for a more desirable, but more difficult to obtain, figure—annual number of visits to the library’s website.
Count Methodology
It will be necessary to have software capable of reporting the library’s Web home page view count.
States with Experience Collecting this Element
Colorado
Virginia
Proposed Addition #2
AUDIO MATERIALS [Electronic Units]
Report only those audio electronic units (or downloads) that are items the library has selected as part of the collection and are accessible through the library’s Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). Include downloadable audio books in this category. Note: An electronic unit or download is a title, either leased or owned, that is accessible through the libraries catalog. The count reported here would be the number of individual titles of this classification, not the number of physical units.
Note: By counting titles instead of units the potential for over counting will be minimized. In the case of the OverDrive titles, for example, each title can be divided into parts, which can be downloaded separately so as to be easily copied onto CDs and other devices. However, the OPAC records refer to the title-level content and that is the number that should be reported.
Rationale
Audio downloads are now commonly made available to public library users. Since this is a new library service, many libraries have requested that information on the availability of downloadables be collected.
Often libraries obtain licenses to download books through membership in regional cooperatives. If libraries report audio downloadable books under the current audio materials sections, that count will be greatly increased for some libraries with no obvious explanation available.
Audio downloads should be treated in the same manor as the appearance of electronic books in libraries was, that is with a separate category for a new library resource.
Count Methodology
Each library would report the number of titles of audio materials available for download that are available through their library’s catalog. Since this would be a number available from the vendor, the data gathering burden should be minimal.
States with Experience Collecting this Element
?
[Wisconsin and Idaho have added the item to their 2006 surveys]
Proposed Change #1
Change the definitions of Audios and Videos to capture downloads.
Audios and Videos [452 & 453] Add “electronic units” or “downloads” to the definitions for both Audios and Videos so that new electronic formats can be included in the totals for these types of materials.
Rationale
Downloaded audios and videos should be counted in the totals regardless as to whether or not the subtotals for this specialized delivery system are reported separately.
The simplest remedy for allowing downloads to be counted is to add the term "electronic unit" to definitions 452 (audios) and 453 (videos), thereby clarifying that downloadable audios and videos may be legitimately included in the totals for each type of material. Note fields would be added to both definitions, as is done in 451 E-books, to clarify the appropriateness of including "electronic units" in the totals for each format and also making "inclusion in the catalog" a criterion. It would also be made clear that titles would be the new standard for counting these types of material thereby heading off any confusion caused by Overdrive-like partial download options.
This alternative requires no new elements. No new elements were created for tapes, CDs, DVDs etc. in part because there is general agreement that while the delivery method may change, the format itself remains the same, i.e., one still listens to audio views video, or reads text. Whether something comes on a CD or tape (physical unit) or as an electronic unit and is downloaded to the computer is beside the point. One still needs a device to play the tune, see the movie, or in the case of e-books, read the text.
It has never been deemed necessary to collect circulation data by type of material at the national level. Many if not all libraries that offer access to downloadable audios and videos are including usage data in their annual circulation. While it would be nice to see the impact of new formats on usage patterns, this level of detail is really beyond the scope of FSCS.
Count Methodology
Count titles available to library users that are accessible through the library’s online catalog (OPAC) and add to the totals for audio or video as appropriate.
States with Experience
?
Note: the definitions for audios, videos, and E-books are provided below.
Audio - These are materials on which sounds (only) are stored
(recorded) and that can be reproduced (played back)
mechanically, electronically, or both. Include records,
audiocassettes, audio cartridges, audio discs (including
audio-CD-ROMs), audio-reels, talking books, and other
sound recordings.
Report the number of physical units, including duplicates.
For smaller libraries, if physical unit data are not available,
count the number of titles. Items packaged together as a
unit (e.g., two audiocassettes for one recorded book) and
checked out as a unit are counted as one physical unit.
Video - These are materials on which moving pictures are recorded,
with or without sound. Electronic playback reproduces
pictures, with or without sound, using a television receiver or
monitor. Video formats may include tape, DVD, CD-ROM,
etc.
Report the number of physical units, including duplicates.
For smaller libraries, if physical unit data are not available,
count the number of titles. Items packaged together as a unit
(e.g., two video cassettes for one movie) and checked out as
a unit are counted as one physical unit.
E-books - are digital documents (including those digitized by
the library), licensed or not, where searchable text is
prevalent, and which can be seen in analogy to a printed
book (monograph). Include non-serial government
documents. E-books are loaned to users on portable
devices (e-book readers) or by transmitting the contents to
the user’s personal computer for a limited time. Include ebooks
held locally and remote e-books for which permanent
or temporary access rights have been acquired. Report the
number of physical or electronic units, including duplicates,
for all outlets. For smaller libraries, if volume data are not
available, the number of titles may be counted. E-books
packaged together as a unit (e.g., multiple titles on a single
e-book reader) and checked out as a unit are counted as one
unit.
Note: Under this category report only items the library has
selected as part of the collection and made accessible
through the library’s Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC).