5 ways to get more from your journal subscriptions

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The Link
By: Laura Graham-Clare, Thu May 10 2018
Laura Graham-Clare

Author: Laura Graham-Clare

The library is pivotal to the achievement of faculty, researchers and students, and its role has expanded way beyond the housing of information in recent years. From information literacy training, the marketing and integration management of diverse content platforms, data management, publicity, and detailed content analysis and reporting, the library is firmly at the forefront of academic advancement in 2018.    

At the heart of every library’s success lies the careful sourcing and widespread circulation of diverse, high-impact, and reliable content, much of which is delivered via electronic resources. Journals are still the dominant format for emerging academic research, particularly in STM subjects. With a significant amount of library budget invested in journal subscriptions it is vital to achieve a strong return on this investment, as well as demonstrating the impact this content has on the overall performance of your institution. With a strong correlation between the use of e-journals and the number of papers published and research grants awarded (Sconul.ac.uk, 2018), every library needs to ensure that the content it has invested in is highly discoverable and widely used.


With all that in mind, here are some of the most effective ways to improve journal discovery and usage at your institution.


Check out the Infographic here


1. Measure and benchmark journal usage statistics



2. Adopt tried and tested best marketing practices


“With e-resources in particular, it’s imperative to reach faculty. They are the ones who will move the needle on usage. Taking the time to show up at faculty offices, or in the buildings where the majority of students are taking classes, is much more effective than standing in the library lobby hoping that someone who is focused in that discipline might walk by.”                                

Jamie Hazlitt, Librarian for Collection Development at Loyola Marymount University.

 

3. Maximise accessibility



4. Boost discovery



5. Optimise training and information


 

Join the conversation…

We’d love to hear about the ways you’ve increased exposure to journals at your institution, which strategies have helped you improve discoverability and the different ways your students, researchers, and faculty are accessing and using journal content today. Get in touch with us on Twitter @SN_LibraryLink, using the hashtag #discoverytips or via the Springer Library Zone on Facebook. In the meantime, download your complete discovery guide here.

 

 

References

(1)    Sconul.ac.uk. (2018). The value of academic libraries | SCONUL. [online] Available at: https://www.sconul.ac.uk/page/the-value-of-academic-libraries [Accessed 22 Feb. 2018].

 

Laura Graham-Clare

Author: Laura Graham-Clare

Laura Graham-Clare is Head of Community Content, based in London. Working between our publishing, sales and marketing teams, she is focused on thought leadership trends, content creation, and developing insights and information resources for staff, librarians, researchers and information professionals.