From: Ann Shumelda Okerson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:24:35 -0400

Dear All:  There's a discussion thread on the "lis-e-resources group"
(UK) regarding an apparent decline in usage statistics for various
electronic resources.  Not all resources data are down, but a large
number are, it would seem.

If your library has experienced this, to what do you attribute it?  What
actions are being taken?  (cancellation, user education, implement
discovery systems, etc?)

See, my own fledgling theory all along has been that e-use has been
hugely growing BUT that there are real limits.  The question is, when
would we observe these?  I.e., as the number of e-resources online
moves from zero (15 years ago) to 100% (let's also pretend that in 10
years everything that wants to be converted from print will have been
converted, plus there will be all the new stuff), usage of resources will
at least level off.

It's routinely observed that some high percentage of print (academic)
library resources are rarely if ever used (40%), and in a given year
perhaps up to 80% of a research library's print resources aren't used.
Are we heading in a parallel direction for electronic info?

Perhaps librarians AND publishers would chime in here on this topic,
for a breadth of experience.

Thank you, Ann Okerson