ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5990-8617
Abstract
In 2017, the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) suffered two extraordinary events that substantially affected library services. From March through June 2017 the university was closed due to a student strike that affected daily activities and academic services. In September of the same year, our country was hit by the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in its history, which left the whole island without power and communications infrastructure for many months. In both scenarios, access to electronic resources was seriously affected.
Usage reports are important for, among other things, evidencing the use of electronic resources in a certain collection, justifying the allocation of funds, and as criteria for evaluating resources. Cost per use is one of the evaluation parameters used by many academic institutions, including the Library System at the UPR Rio Piedras Campus (UPRRP). However, what happens when there are extraordinary factors that affect the calculation of the cost per use during a period of time? What alternatives exist, if any, to be able to calculate and continue using cost per use as a reliable evaluation parameter?
This work in progress proposes the development of a new way of calculating and analyzing the cost per use of the electronic subscriptions of the UPRRP Library System using data that is not influenced by extraordinary events and that may affect the final result. The use of the median instead of the average to calculate the cost per use can be an effective alternative to deal with this problem.
Cost per Use as an Electronic Resources Evaluation Parameter: Can You Use It Under Extraordinary Circumstances?
In 2017, the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) suffered two extraordinary events that substantially affected library services. From March through June 2017 the university was closed due to a student strike that affected daily activities and academic services. In September of the same year, our country was hit by the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in its history, which left the whole island without power and communications infrastructure for many months. In both scenarios, access to electronic resources was seriously affected.
Usage reports are important for, among other things, evidencing the use of electronic resources in a certain collection, justifying the allocation of funds, and as criteria for evaluating resources. Cost per use is one of the evaluation parameters used by many academic institutions, including the Library System at the UPR Rio Piedras Campus (UPRRP). However, what happens when there are extraordinary factors that affect the calculation of the cost per use during a period of time? What alternatives exist, if any, to be able to calculate and continue using cost per use as a reliable evaluation parameter?
This work in progress proposes the development of a new way of calculating and analyzing the cost per use of the electronic subscriptions of the UPRRP Library System using data that is not influenced by extraordinary events and that may affect the final result. The use of the median instead of the average to calculate the cost per use can be an effective alternative to deal with this problem.