Transcript What is the Return on Investment of a University Library?

What is the Return on
Investment of a University
Library?
Carol Tenopir
University of Tennessee
[email protected]
SCONUL
June 2011
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Return on investment in a strict sense…
…is a quantitative measure expressed as a ratio of
the value returned to the institution for each
monetary unit invested in the library.
For every $/€/£ spent on the library,
the university receives ‘X’ $/€/£ in return.
Demonstrate that library collections contribute to
income-generating activities
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Return on Investment is also…
…values of all types that come to
stakeholders and the institution from
use of the library’s collections,
services, and contribution to its
communities.
Center for Information and Communication Studies
In the information context, economist
Machlup described two types of value:
1.purchase or exchange value: what one is willing
to pay for information in money and/or time, and
2. use value: the favorable consequences derived
from reading and using the information.
Center for Information and Communication Studies
2 Value Studies
Lib-Value
Scholarly Reading and
Value of Library Resources
Aim: Develop models for
assessing value and ROI
for academic libraries.
Aim: examine the value UK
academics place on having
access to scholarly materials.
End Result: An international
perspective on the role and value
libraries and their resources bring to
individuals and institutions.
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Value of Reading &
Collections in the UK:
•Participants
•Academic staff in 6 U.K Higher Learning Institutions including
UEA, University of Dundee, Cranfield University, Imperial College
of London
•Questionnaire
•Critical incident of last reading of: scholarly articles,
books/ebooks, other materials; plus demographics
•E-mailed invitation from library directors
•Timeline
•April-June 2011: questionnaires live
•June-December: analysis
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Preliminary analysis shows:
1. Academics read many articles, with the library’s
e-journal collection as the main source
2. Books more often come from personal sources
3. Academics read many other materials
4. Value is demonstrated by time invested in reading
and by outcomes of reading
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Articles and Journals
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Average readings per month
30
25
25
20
15
12
10
8
5
0
Article
n=1013, as of May 1, 2011, 5 U.K
universities
Book
Other Publication
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Average number of article
readings per scientist
Article readings over time
300
280
250
200
150
150
171
188
295
216
100
50
0
1977
1984
1993 2000- 2005
2003
2011
*2011 (UK), n=1013; 2005,n=932; 2000-03, n=397; 1993, n=70; 1984, n=865;
1977, n=2350
Carol Tenopir
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Source of articles
100
90
80
Percent
70
65
60
50
40
30
20
14
10
9
6
6
0
Library
Subscription
Free Web
Dept. or Personal Colleague's Copy
Journal, Website
Subscription
n=1093, data as of May 1, 2011, 5
U.K universities
Other
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Article readings from library by age of
reader
100
90
80
Percent
70
65
68
67
68
57
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Under 30
n-=640, data as of May 1,
2011, 5 U.K universities
31-40
Years
41-50
Years
51-60
Years
Over 60
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Where did you read this last article?
(Articles from library only)
Travelling
10%
Home
27%
Library
2%
Office, Lab
61%
n=699, data as of May 1,
2011, 5 U.K universities
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Visits to the library (physical and virtual)
Syracuse University 2011
Average last 30
days
Activity
Physical Visits
Remote Visits
Average Total Resources Used:
in-person visit to the library
remotely online
2.9 visits
14.2 visits
7.3 uses
14.9 uses
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Use of Library Collections
2005
Print
26%
n=532
Data as of May 1, 2011, 5 U.K universities
2011
Print
7%
Electronic
74%
Electronic
93%
n=707
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Format of last article reading
2005
2011
Computer
Screen
5%
8%
19%
10%
45%
32%
Downloaded
and Printed
From Print
Journal
41%
40%
Other
n=1062
Data as of May 1, 2011, 5 U.K
universities
n=1071
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Time spent per article reading
100
90
80
Mean time is 43
minutes; median
time is 30 minutes
Percent
70
60
55
50
40
28
30
20
12
5
10
0
Under 30
Minutes
n=1106, data as of May 1, 2011,
5 U.K universities
30-60
Minutes
1-2 Hours
Over 2 Hours
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Books or Book Chapters
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Source of book readings
100
90
80
Percent
70
60
50
40
39
27
30
25
20
9
10
0
Purchased
Library
Free Copy
Other
n=850, data as of May 1,
2011, 5 U.K universities
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Book readings from library by age
of reader
100
90
80
Percent
70
60
50
40
38
27
30
21
20
41-50 Years
51-60 Years
20
26
10
0
Under 30
n=787, data as of May 1,
2011, 5 U.K universities
31-40 Years
Over 60 Years
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Time spent on book readings
35
Mean time spent
reading is 1 hour
and 34 minutes.
32
30
24
25
22
22
1-2 Hours
Over 2 Hours
20
15
10
5
0
Under 30 Minutes
30-60 Minutes
n=851
Data as of May 1, 2011, 5 U.K
universities
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Other Publications
Includes: conference proceedings, government documents, and trade
journals or magazines
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Other readings
100
90
80
Percent
70
60
50
40
34
30
30
20
20
16
10
0
Government
Document
n=664, data as of
May 1, 2011, 5 U.K
universities
Magazine/Trade
Journal
Conference
Proceeding
Other
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Source of other readings
100
90
80
Percent
70
60
50
40
30
29
18
20
15
15
13
Library
Colleague
Copy
10
10
0
Website,
Online
Publisher Purchased
Copy
n=660, data as of May 1, 2011,
5 U.K universities
Other
Center for Information and Communication Studies
100
Time spent reading other
publications
90
80
Percent
Mean time spent
reading is 35 minutes.
67
70
60
50
40
30
20
20
10
8
5
1-2 Hours
Over 2 Hours
0
Under 30
Minutes
n=588, data as of May
1, 2011, 5 U.K
universities
30-60 Minutes
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Value is demonstrated by time
invested in reading, by purpose
of reading, by value to purpose,
and by outcomes of reading
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Time Spent Reading from Library
•Article
•43 min/article X 25 read per month X 12 months X 64.7%
from library= 139 hours a year per academic staff
member
•Book
•124 min/book X 8 per month X 12 months X 27.2% from
library= 54 hours a year per academic staff member
•Other Publication
•35 min/publication X 12 per month X 12 months X 14.8%
from library= 12.5 hours a year per academic staff
member
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Purpose of reading
70
66.2
60
52.3
Research
Teaching
50
Percent
40.9
40
27.7
30
20
12.5
10.6
10
0
Article
n=1942, data as of May 1,
2011, 5 U.K universities
Book
Other Publication
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Readings for research or writing
(2005)
• More likely to be rated “absolutely
essential”
• More likely to be found by searching
• More likely to be from e-sources
• More likely to be after the first year of
publication
• More likely to be from the library
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Rank List of Values of Journal Article
Reading
1st To inspire new thinking or ideas (54%)
2nd To improve your principal purpose for reading (38%)
3rd To narrow/broaden/change the focus of your
principal purpose (28%)
4th To resolve technical problems (10%)
5th To save time or other resources (9%)
6th To aid in faster completion (5%)
7th To assist or result in collaboration/joint research (4%)
Center for Information and Communication Studies
What role do scholarly articles play in your
research, teaching, and other activities?
My field
” could
not exist
without them.
Absolutely
essential to
both research
and teaching.
Pivotal in research by
informing me about the stateof-the-art, also significant in
teaching, for up-to-date articles
read and discussed by
Center for Information
and Communication Studies
students.
Portrait of a successful faculty member…
”
•Publishes more
•Wins awards
•Reads more
•Reads more from the
library
•For every article cited,
reads 27-40 additional
articles
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Library Return on Investment and Value:
Center for Information and Communication Studies
Thank You
For more information:
http://libvalue.cci.utk.edu/JISC
Carol Tenopir
University of Tennessee
[email protected]
Center for Information and Communication Studies