A journal use study: checkouts and in-house use

Abstract

Journal use studies provide meaningful data to consider in shaping a library's journal collection. The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library undertook such a study of 2,552 print subscription titles over one year, gathering data on circulation, in-house use, and interlibrary loan (ILL) use. Objectives focused on gathering practical data to support cancellation decisions and to determine whether reliable relationships of in-house to checkout use would emerge, upon which to base future decisions. Data were analyzed for all titles, for titles grouped by publication frequency, and for titles grouped by ten major subject headings. Results, to be interpreted within the limitations of this study and of use studies in general, showed in-house use to be higher than checkouts across all subjects and all publication frequencies-but in ratios too complex to be reduced to a single regression line. All use increases with increases in titles' frequency of publication. Even titles with few or no checkouts show some in-house use. Patterns of serial use differ among general subject disciplines.