Wouldn’t you know, just when I think I have a metric (session) that makes a connection between database usage and information literacy (expresses the need for information), the metric is going to disappear. What good is a search number without a session number? They might as well just use the retrievals or lack thereof and be done with it.

 

I had also been noticing greater numbers of sessions than searches, so it is helpful to know the link-resolvers are the culprits.

 

Dale

 

(Ms) Dale LaBonte

Coordinator of Library Serials and Electronic Resources

Alden Library | Quinsigamond Community College

670 W Boylston Street | Worcester MA 01606

508 854-7472 | dlabonte@qcc.mass.edu

 

 

 

 

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Jill Emery
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 4:18 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] COUNTER DB1 sessions vs searches

 

In Counter Code of Practice version 4, sessions will no longer be reported. Publishers/providers have 18 months to enact the new version which was released in April 2012. This means session reporting will go away in the near future.

 

http://www.projectcounter.org/code_practice.html 

 

Jill

On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 1:08 PM, Jeanne Little <jeanne.little@uni.edu> wrote:

Diana,

 

My understanding about searches and sessions means the number of sessions is the number of times a patron has accessed the database, and the searches are the number of searches done within each session. Thus, the session totals would be the number of different patrons (including multiple times one patron has entered the database), and the searches would be the total number of searches done for the total number of sessions for any given period. (i.e. Jan-Mar, Jan-June, etc.)

 

Does that help, or is it clear as mud?

 

Jeanne Little

 

On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 1:31 PM, Reid,Diana L. <diana.reid@louisville.edu> wrote:

Hi All,

 

Does anyone have any wisdom for me about sessions vs searches on DB1 reports? I am wondering why I see so many reports with vastly more sessions than searches.

If a session is recorded when a user requests a service, say to connect to a particular database, it doesn't make sense to me that in many instances the majority of users are basically choosing a resource

and then not searching at all. What am I missing?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Diana Reid

Serials Acquisitions Librarian

University of Louisville

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