Clarifying for Lance (Re: Response to lib-license email)

[Rick Anderson <rick_anderson@uncg.edu>]

> I am also curious as to the extent
> that user behavior is being monitored. 

Let's clarify this for Lance: there's a big difference between monitoring
usage and monitoring users.  One of the neat things about online journals
is that they allow librarians to actually see *how much* use a journal is
getting.  That's not the same thing as seeing *who* is using a journal.  
Such data are certainly available in theory, but are not, I believe,
typically kept by libraries.

> Traditionally, librarians do not
> engage in surveillance of their patrons.

On the contrary: traditionally, libraries always keep records of who has
checked out materials and whether they've returned them.  Calling this
"surveillance" is inflammatory, of course -- calling it "record
maintenance" is more accurate, but less exciting.  What libraries have not
traditionally done is share that information with others; nor do all
libraries maintain such information after the materials are returned.

> Fourth, "volume and breadth" have nothing to do with content and value.

Actually, volume and breadth have quite a bit to do with content and
value;  just because they aren't the same thing doesn't mean that they
aren't closely associated with each other.  No matter how good the content
of a journal is, if it only contains two articles per issue is will be
less useful than an equally good journal with four articles per issue
(assuming the price is the same -- that's the "value" issue).

----------------------
Rick Anderson
Head Acquisitions Librarian
Jackson Library
UNC Greensboro
1000 Spring Garden St.
Greensboro, NC 27402-6175
PH (336) 334-5281
FX (336) 334-5399
rick_anderson@uncg.edu
http://www.uncg.edu/~r_anders

"We are powerfully attracted to the 
world of goods (after all, we don't 
call them 'bads')." 
      -- James B. Twichell