MINES for Libraries is a web-based survey methodology that is proving to be a valid and reliable method for assessing networked electronic resources usage. The methodology has collected usage data on the libraries’ electronic resources, including electronic journals, electronic books, databases, the online catalog, and services such as interlibrary loan. It can also integrate data on non-subscription resources such as digital collections, open access journals, pre-print and post-print servers, and institutional repositories. This web survey method is more successful in libraries that have implemented a network assessment infrastructure. To illustrate its utility, an overview of the methodology, a discussion of assessment infrastructures, and recent results from MINES for Libraries surveys at more than 30 North American universities during the last 2 years are presented, including health sciences libraries, main academic libraries, and a Canadian library consortium of colleges and universities.

INTRODUCTIONThis demonstration showcases the Simmons GSLIS Digital Curriculum Laboratory (DCL), a collaborative teaching and learning environment to support the archives, preservation and cultural heritage informatics curricula. The Digital Curriculum Laboratory is a virtual space comprised of digital content, scenarios describing archival and preservation processes, metadata standards, and a set of digital asset management applications, where students problem-solve, experiment, evaluate and gain hands-on experience with digital materials in a classroom context. BACKGROUND TO THE DCL

Purpose – This paper, a case study with research implications, analyzes ebook use and users, focusing on ProQuest’s Electronic Book Library (EBL) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The purpose of this paper is to understand ebook user attributes and behaviors in the context of print books and other eresources; to examine usage of EBL ebooks and print materials; and to explore differences between users of ebooks and print books. Design/methodology/approach – The methodologies of the study are MINES for Libraries® implemented through EZproxy and an analysis of users and usage of EBL ebooks compared to print books based in part on the set of books available to the UMass community in both formats. Findings – Undergraduates use print more often compared to graduate and faculty users. Among all uses of overlap materials in which materials are available in both formats, EBL and print, we find more print use. In all, 40 percent of EBL users did not check out any print library books, which would indicate that EBL created new users and new circulation that would not have otherwise occurred in print. Further, the findings show little difference by gender and ethnicity in the use of ebooks and print books and little evidence of lagging adoption of ebooks by faculty. When compared to campus-wide demographics, women and students of color use both print and ebooks in higher than expected rates. Originality/value – Subject analysis of ebooks and print book usage and users by school or college are explored, highlighting differences between the two formats in certain subjects.

Purpose -As libraries are developing a larger Web presence, issues regarding the utility, accessibility, and impact of the usage of their networked resources and services are gaining critical importance. The need to assess systematically the networked electronic services and resources is great as increasing amounts of financial resources are dedicated to the Web presence of libraries. This paper aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach -This project proposes to measure the impact of networked electronic services, building on MINES for Libraries w , in a scalable way across libraries and consortia to enhance digital library service quality and impact on learning by enabling the future allocation of resources to areas of user-identified need. Short, standardized web surveys are placed at the point-of-use of networked electronic resources and services through a network assessment infrastructure that uses contemporary mechanisms of authentication and access, such as EZproxy, openURL, Shibboleth, federated searching and others as modules to interface with ARL's StatsQUAL w . A valid and reliable sampling method is proposed. Findings -Point-of-use web surveys hold considerable promise as key tools in the assessment toolkit libraries may deploy to improve the research, teaching, and learning outcomes of their users. Practical implications -This project enhances and deepens the information gained from vendor-supplied data. Originality/value -The developments described will make it easier for libraries to assess the usage of networked electronic resources and services.

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