MaxData: A Project to Help Librarians Maximize E-Journal Usage Data

All libraries and librarians make substantial investments in digital collections, especially collections of digital serials. Librarians are also responsible for the justification of their expenditures and decisions about the best form and format for journal purchases. They must collect and interpret data about the use of print and electronic journal collections in a way that will help them to make good collection development decisions. These decisions should be based on knowledge of user needs, user preferences, and behavior patterns, in addition to the cost effectiveness of the various online products. Gathering and interpreting reliable data on needs, preferences, and use patterns has become a necessary challenge for all libraries. Because there is a great need to justify the cost of investments and to provide the best resources for users, usage data of many types have become essential. It can, however, be difficult for librarians to know what data will provide them with the information they most need for their decision making.