Library Quarterly Report FY22 Q2: October-December 2021

Database Usage

Use of subscription databases as measured in full-text downloads hit its lowest point since 2015 this quarter, with about half the "record high" database usage by this metric that we reported one year ago. While the 5-year quarterly average is around 3,200 downloads (about 67% higher than what we saw this quarter), it is not clear what precipitated the downturn or if any action needs to be taken. Due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, usage patterns continue to vary wildly. However, one explanation for a large portion of the discrepancy with past quarterly usage data lies in the Catalog "Clickthroughs" statistic. That stat reflects times when patrons click on a full-text link in a library catalog record. It has averaged 625/quarter in recent years, however, last quarter and this quarter it dropped to 54 and 71, respectively. We suspect the previously high count was an anomaly (which we could never fully understand) and that the current statistics are more accurate. In general VDOT employees place high value on "self-service" access to high quality information at the desktop. As is typically the case, ASTM Compass led all downloads, followed by Skillsoft Books, TRR, and Knovel.