[Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL] - Re: [EXTERNAL*]- counting databases for ACRL stats

[Herman, Amy]

Hi Ryer,

I am doing the ACRL Annual Survey stats, not IPEDS right now, but I’d love to know if I’m misinterpreting!  I was under the impression that the stats were supposed to be similar… between the two surveys.  The ACRL instructions for counting databases (41) says:



Report the total number of licensed digital/electronic databases in your collection if there is bibliographic or discovery access at the database level. Each database is counted individually even if access to several databases is supported through the same vendor interface.

A database is a collection of electronically stored data or unit records (facts, bibliographic data, or texts) with a common user interface and software for the retrieval and manipulation of the data. The data or records are usually collected with intent and relate to a defined topic.

Do include databases that only allow access to abstracts. Do not include discovery systems in the count of databases. Do not include "individual releases" such as annual updates of content or the migration of the user interface to the next vendor-release (i.e., interface version 3.0 replaces version 2.0) as separate databases.
Additional guidance:

● Include open access databases if they are searchable through the library's catalog or discovery system.

● Consider a resource a database if the user links to the content as a whole and then selects individual resources within the database that best serves their needs.

● Include e-book databases but also report the individual e-book titles within the database separately under question 40b (Digital/Electronic Books).


Amy Herman
Library Faculty | Olympic College
1600 Chester Avenue | Bremerton, WA 98337
aherman at olympic.edu<mailto:aherman at olympic.edu>

From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu> On Behalf Of Ryer Banta
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 12:24 PM
To: WACTCLC Alma Discussion <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - Re: [Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL*]- counting databases for ACRL stats

CAUTION: This email came from a non-OC system or external source. Beware of phishing and social engineering!

This is timely, we're finally getting into IPEDS right now too. Good luck to us all doing this.

Did something change in the instructions this year that you are now including the open access collections?

In the past, like you, we've counted up databases from our A-Z database list, excluding OA ones there and in Alma. I believe we were under the impression that OA collections were not to be included in the past. But we may have been misunderstanding all along.

Does anyone have any good insights into why our digital serials count is much lower than last year? I would expect growth. We haven't eliminated any big databases or collections.

Ryer Banta
Information Literacy and Technology Librarian
Pronouns: he/him/his
Centralia College
360-623-8121
Ryer.Banta at centralia.edu<https://mail.centralia.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=fNEFFUiOcJn8XZD_VNaqVEixJx9QWtNlXDDsY0izFrXf1xAoVYvYCA..&URL=mailto%3aRyer.Banta%40centralia.edu>
Schedule an Appointment<https://centralia.libcal.com/appointments/ryer>
________________________________
From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu>> on behalf of Martin, Melinda <Melinda.Martin at scc.spokane.edu<mailto:Melinda.Martin at scc.spokane.edu>>
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 11:37 AM
To: WACTCLC Alma Discussion <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL*]- counting databases for ACRL stats


We also count JSTOR as a single database.

😊

_Melinda



From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu>> On Behalf Of Elena Bianco
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 11:27 AM
To: WACTCLC Alma Discussion <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL*]- counting databases for ACRL stats



Hi Amy:



We count JSTOR as just one…



Elena



Elena Bianco, Systems & Technical Services Librarian

Skagit Valley College

2405 E. College Way

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

(360)416-7624



From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu>> On Behalf Of Herman, Amy
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 11:04 AM
To: WACTCLC Alma Discussion <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>>
Subject: [EXTERNAL*]-[Wactclc-alma] counting databases for ACRL stats



For those of you who help gather the stats for your library’s ACRL report (or IPEDS), how do you calculate the number of electronic databases your library offers?  In the past I have manually counted from our A-Z list.  Our A-Z list breaks out ProQuest and Ebsco databases into their many unique pieces because those pieces can be searched independently (or altogether), but we only count ScienceDirect and JSTOR as single databases because their multiple pieces can’t be broken out for search, independently.



This year I am switching to going off of my active collections list in Alma because it also contains all of the open access collections that I have activated for search in Primo, which the instructions say to include.  However, ScienceDirect and JSTOR are actually broken out into their multiple pieces on my Alma list.  I’m curious if you have JSTOR, for example, do you count it as a single database?  Or as it’s multiple parts (we subscribe to 7 parts)?  Thanks!



Any other related thoughts?



Thanks!



Amy Herman

Library Faculty | Olympic College

1600 Chester Avenue | Bremerton, WA 98337

aherman at olympic.edu<mailto:aherman at olympic.edu>



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