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Hi Sarah, Our usage of e-resources is rising, but this is at least in part due to our continual efforts to drive users towards them. We have implemented Serials Solutions Summon discovery service, and Academic Librarians have promoted this and the benefits of electronic resources to the academic and student communities. We strive to provide increasingly accurate metadata for ebooks, ejournals and databases via our Library Catalogue and web pages. We advertise new electronic resources where appropriate via subject specific blogs and other social media. We are also looking into the possibilities of mobile device access and implementing a virtual learning environment to make remote access simpler. My experience of the digital generation is that they are inclined to be just as conservative as the rest of us when faced with something new and potentially complicated. Their time and resources are limited by the demands of an increasingly complex world, just as ours are. If using print looks easier because that's all they've been shown, or because the routes to electronic resources are obscure, confusing or unreliable, then they will use print, or maybe just google whatever free resources are available elsewhere. Hope that helps, Phil Phil James Electronic Resources Library & Learning Centre University of Surrey Guildford, UK GU2 7XH Tel: +44 (0)1483 683890 -----Original Message----- From: An informal open list set up by UKSG - Connecting the Information Community [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Taylor, Sarah Sent: 17 April 2012 12:47 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [lis-e-resources] Decreasing usage statistics Hi all, Apologies for this ramble. I'm currently looking in detail at usage of electronic resources and have discovered that across the board, usage is down comparing 2010 to 2011 for example. I'm doing this so I can demonstrate to folk high up in the university that our electronic resources are good value for money. Not all of our resources are down, but looking at the overall picture, it's really quite bleak. Some are massively down. I was hoping that the results of my little exercise would show that usage is rising, but this appears not to be the case! Therefore, the positive report I was planning on writing is looking at little unlikely... Has anyone else noticed a trend in usage statistics going down? If you have, have you managed to remain positive about the use of your electronic collections while still managing to demonstrate value for money? We don't have any sort of resource discovery product here, if that makes a difference (and I suspect it might). All insights greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance. Best wishes, Sarah Sarah Taylor Electronic Resources Librarian The Peter Marsh Library University of Bolton Deane Road Bolton BL3 5AB 01204 903099 [log in to unmask] Please note that my normal working days are Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays lis-e-resources is a UKSG list - http://www.uksg.org/serials UKSG groups also available on Facebook and LinkedIn lis-e-resources is a UKSG list - http://www.uksg.org/serials UKSG groups also available on Facebook and LinkedIn