From: Rick Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2015 13:33:58 +0000

>I feel contractually obliged (and I know I¹m boring everybody) to
>point out that the evidence that links journal usage patterns to
>library purchasing patterns is pretty much non-existent.  Setting
>embargoes based on usage patterns is faith-based, not evidence-based.

David, when refer to "the evidence that links journal usage patterns to
library purchasing patterns," you mean ". . . library cancellation
patterns," don¹t you? (Internal usage data for journals to which the
library doesn¹t subscribe is, indeed, pretty much non-existent, for
obvious logical reasons). The evidence linking journal usage patterns to
library cancellation patterns is quite well documented. Consider, for
example, any of the following articles:

ENSSLE, HR; WILDE, ML. So you have to cancel journals? statistics that
help. Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services. 26, 3, 259,
Sept. 2002.

NIXON, JM. A Reprise, Or Round Three: Using a Database Management Program
as a Decision-Support System for the Cancellation of Serials. Serials
Librarian. 59, 3-4, 302-312, Oct. 2010.

GALLAGHER, J; BAUER, K; DOLLAR, D: Evidence-based Librarianship: Utilizing
Data from All Available Sources to Make Judicious Print Cancellation
Decisions. Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services. 29,
2, 169-179, 2005.

GREEN, PR. Monitoring the Usage of Science and Engineering Journals at the
Edward Boyle Library, University of Leeds. Serials Librarian, 25, 1-2,
169-180 (1994).

Rick Anderson
Assoc. Dean for Scholarly Resources & Collections
Marriott Library, University of Utah
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