Abstract
In September of 2016, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc launched a new division charged with creating digital resources for the academic library market. A number of these have Reference at their core. This paper outlines in brief the logic for creating the new division and the role of Reference within the resources. It then summarizes research we have undertaken since the division’s inception to establish how ‘product categories’ (ie, encyclopedias, monographs, images etc) are valued by academics and librarians, the aim of which is to create products that are user-focused. And finally this paper provides a brief case study of our most mature resource, The Berg Fashion Library, to ascertain how actual usage compares with how product categories are rated in the research.
Reference: Product Categories in the Digital Age
In September of 2016, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc launched a new division charged with creating digital resources for the academic library market. A number of these have Reference at their core. This paper outlines in brief the logic for creating the new division and the role of Reference within the resources. It then summarizes research we have undertaken since the division’s inception to establish how ‘product categories’ (ie, encyclopedias, monographs, images etc) are valued by academics and librarians, the aim of which is to create products that are user-focused. And finally this paper provides a brief case study of our most mature resource, The Berg Fashion Library, to ascertain how actual usage compares with how product categories are rated in the research.