Striving for Uniqueness: Data-Driven Database Deselection

As libraries endure an ongoing crisis of available funds to meet inflating electronic content costs, the idea to dispatch the perceived least important e-resources to help balance the budget is a tempting solution. Mercer University Libraries recognizes the challenge of finding areas in which to cut back on its resources. They closely examine their subscriptions to prioritize their patrons’ needs, maintain budgetary equilibrium, and remain true to their goals. The Library Systems Department has worked to develop their own tool to assist decision makers with pertinent information about the uniqueness of both their full text and index databases and packages, both to save money and to improve their programming skills. This paper highlights their approach to this tool and the effects it has had so far.