The document discusses how Griffith University Library is using reading list data to support its scholarly resource strategy and drive changes to collections. Key points include: - Targeting print to electronic conversions and using reading list data to prioritize and negotiate bulk e-text purchases. - Supporting discussions with publishers to trial and acquire e-texts. - Working to increase the availability of required readings for Open Universities Australia courses online. - Monitoring progress towards the goals of 95% of required readings available online by 2018 and reducing the physical collection footprint by 50% by 2020. - Using reading list data to inform deselection projects and influence future reading selection.

2. Using Reading List data to support and
drive resource strategies
Craig Milne, Manager Scholarly Resource Services and Library Campus Services
c.milne@griffith.edu.au

3. Some context
 Scholarly Resource Strategy
 Collections
 Selection and procurement
 Discoverability and accessibility
 Financial sustainability
 Ambitious targets
 By 2017- All new required and recommended readings will be in electronic format only (refers to new
courses / programs)
 By 2018 – Greater than 95% of all required and recommended readings will be available online
 By 2020 – Reliance on print and physical collections will have been minimised with the collection
footprint reduced by 50% from the 2016 baseline size.
Library and Learning Services

4. Policy
 Reading Lists are the source of truth for readings
 Reading Lists are part of a compulsory course profile process
 Policy sits under the authority of the Teaching and Learning Committee
 Learning Resources and Reading Lists policy
 Sets out responsibility
 Establishes definitions for required / recommended readings
 Includes TEQSA guidance that full-text, digital access should be available for required resources as listed in Course
Profiles
 Includes that recommended resources are to be selected from the extensive range of resources already available
through the existing collections
 Includes that The University has an e-preferred policy to maximise the accessibility of resources to students regardless of
the mode of course delivery
Library and Learning Services

5. Supporting and driving resource strategies
 Targeted print to electronic conversion and funding
 Supporting vendor discussions for eText acquisition
 Targeting Open Universities Australia course resources for online availability
 Progressing towards 95% by 2018
 Reducing the physical footprint by 50%
 Some other uses
 Things to consider and lessons learned
 Using data to inform further change in 2017
Library and Learning Services

6. Targeting conversion and funding
 All items report – detailed list for use in ISBN title matching services
 Ability to filter and target by subject area
 Can prioritise by resource importance
 In late 2015 title a list of 7087 resulted in a match of 533 titles
 Benefits
 Possible to target funding with data to build a business case
 Secured funding for 241 titles
 Bulk order and supply of MARC records
 Ability to negotiate on bulk purchases and take advantage of special offers
Library and Learning Services

7. Supporting vendor discussions
 Publisher by publisher approach using all items report
 Quickly create lists to help in discussions / negotiations
 Can priority discussions based on resources per publisher
 Provides publisher with a clear picture
 Outcomes
 OUP eTexts outside of standard offering
 Cengage trial – over 170 eTexts
 Start of higher level discussions with publishers such as Springer on alternative
models
Library and Learning Services

8. Online availability of OUA resources
 Approx. 220 Open University Courses offered (171 lists identified)
 Requirement for resources to be online
 Large print stock loss connected with OUA
 Targeted communication and approach with support of Academic
Director, Griffith Online
 Able to do a lot of work without involving the academic
 Prioritised OUA eTexts in publisher discussions
 Biggest issue remains literature titles
Library and Learning Services
2591 Required
Resources - 96%
were already
online
990
Recommended
Resources – 87%
were already
online

9. Progressing towards 95% by 2018
 Expected that Reading List data would be a good way to report on the
targets
 Due to the number of time periods and roll-over practices it is actually
difficult to track and report
 We can keep targeting resources without URL’s
 We do know from our budget figures that eText acquisition now
surpasses print
 Jan 2016 Ratio of print to e was approx. 2:1
 Dec 2016 Ratio of print to e was 0.6 to 1
 First time eText acquisition has surpassed print
Library and Learning Services
Some very
approximate figures
of required texts with
URL’s
Jan 2015 approx. 40%
Jan 2016 approx. 51%
Jan 2017 approx. 57%
(but still working on
2017 lists)

10. Reducing the physical footprint by 50%
 Looking at multiple strategies for deselection
 Reading list information in Millennium (950 tags)
 Able to use the Reading List information in deselection
 Will be able to progress work on recommended readings using print data to
influence thinking / shift in reading selection
Library and Learning Services

11. Some other uses
 URL’s useful for identifying potential issues with cancellation of a platform
/ journal
 Useful for identifying courses impacted by items being withdrawn from
aggregated collections
 Quickly assess purchase requirements against eText offers that
publishers are putting out
 Pivot tables – look at trends / behavior across courses and disciplines
 No items in a list, types of items in lists, required v recommended
Library and Learning Services

12. Things to consider and lessons learned
 Know your data – map it out
 Is the time taken to derive a metric / baseline worthwhile?
 Need skills in Excel (pivot tables in particular) and Access for quick table joins
 What would help – improvements in all items report
 Item analytics that are in the dashboard being available in the all items report
 A flag to indicate clearly if a resource is online or not (or was)
 A link in the all items report to the TADC data for the item (for data and to know that I was a
digitised item)
Library and Learning Services

13. Using data to inform further change in 2017
 Look at continuing the work on eTexts
 Look at not just converting from p to e but also influencing behavior based on
reading list / circ data
 Continue with a bottom up / top down and in the background approach
 Provide more data to key stakeholder groups
Library and Learning Services