Frank Black Information Services Manager Wiltshire Libraries

another flag

A

libraries lend books

public libraries provide information too … … and have been for over 150 years

“I’d like to see my neighbour’s planning application” “I’m just h ere to ke ep dr y” Have you seen my friend please? “Can you tell me where Waterstones is? ” I’ll just check that on the catalogue, sir. t? ” le i to e r he w “ th e’s bi “to rth c c opy er tif my ic at e” “That boy over there just hit me!” “Yesterdays Telegraph, please … and be quick about it. ”

just visiting I’m from Austria I’m just waiting for a friend We’re from Portugal I’m from Mauritius

problems in buying e-resources • they might be out-of-date

problems in buying e-resources • they might be out-of-date • they might tend to limit the horizons of our users (and our staff)

problems in buying e-resources • they might be out-of-date • they might tend to limit the horizons of our users (and our staff) “Perhaps • they are expensive there’s an alternative…”

selected Nepali media titles

£ 465

paid for e-resources offer a number of big advantages over free content • they provide a safe way for children and other vulnerable users to search electronic content • they are free of sex • they might be authoritative and as a bonus • they allow librarians to identify Gershon savings

Gershon saving Reference Books Online The collection = 134 titles 30 libraries X 134 titles = 4, 020 books Cost = £ 5, 000 In hard copy at av. price of £ 17 per book this would buy 294 books So for the same price we can buy 3726 extra books Or put another way Each library has access to 134 books @£ 17 or £ 2, 238 worth of books 30 libraries X £ 2, 238 = £ 67, 140 but Reference books Online = £ 5, 000 So we have made a ‘saving’ of £ 62, 140.

for the first time we have an accurate way of measuring the use of reference resources …and make sure you count them

• Newsbank • Oxford University Press • Thomson/Gale • Proquest • Kompass • CANS • Cobweb • xrefer • Enyclopaedia Britannica • Independence

Usage data: “We can supply Number of company profiles viewed”

Usage data: “We’re thinking about it”

usage data • Establishing the cost per use of individual products • Measuring the impact of promotional or marketing activities • Identifying variations in the use of specific titles within a product • Measuring virtual library use

e-resource Cost per Annual session/ cost search usage Product A 2487 4200 £ 2. 95 Product B 5240 5000 £ 0. 95 Product C 2570 4200 £ 1. 63 Product D 299 7800 £ 26. 09

Newspapers Online - individual title usage data

Change of supplier

in-library promotion • IT taster sessions in the library focussing on e-resources • Spaces adjacent to library computers - keyboard strips, mousemats, posters & leaflets, screensavers, carrier bags, pens, bookmarks, new member packs • Display screens, in-shelf displays Monitor strip fun Keyboard strip Mousemat Mouse

for staff • Quizzes • e-resource champions • Staff meetings, newsletters & noticeboards outside the library • Local press coverage for new titles • Prize competitions • Mailings to schools (homework help) • Adverts in local magazines/prospectuses

The challenge To sum up the biggest problem for me as a librarian is the invisibility of e-resources. The challenge is to prove to our funders that electronic information has a permanent role in the future of public libraries. I need to make sure that I get the right products at the right price and make them pay.

but… not everything is on the web “In the world today less than 10% of the information is online. ” i Nikesh Arora, Head of Google, Europe 2005

References www. projectcounter. org www. rba. co. uk/sources (Karen Blakeman’s pages) www. wikipedia. org www. britannica. com www. bl. uk/collections/business/bisheets. html (British Library Industry Guides) www. culture. gov. uk/global/publications/archive_2004/ (Virtual visits) www. fotw. net (Flags of the World) www. knowuk. co. uk www. nepalitimes. com www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook (CIA World Factbook) www. epnet. com (Ebsco for UK Reference Centre)) www. cambridgeshire. gov. uk/leisure/libraries/gateway www. kmu. gov. ua/control/en/ (Ukrainian Government portal) www. bbc. co. uk/nepali All sites visited October 2005