NISO 2-day Forum on Understanding Usage Data

[Cynthia Hodgson <chodgson@niso.org>]

*NISO to Hold Forum on Understanding the Data Around Us*

/Amigos Cosponsoring Two-Day Event on Gathering and Analyzing 
Usage Data/

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and Amigos 
Library Services will host a forum on /Understanding the Data 
Around Us: Gathering and Analyzing Usage Data/, to be held 
November 1-2 at the Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas. This two-day 
event asks library and information service providers to think 
about what kinds of usage data -- for e-resources, print, and 
more -- can be used to help improve the provision of information 
services, what data might be missing, and ways all parties 
involved (libraries, publishers, aggregators, and system vendors) 
can best use the data collected. The event includes speakers who 
will discuss issues of gathering, analyzing, and applying usage 
data, and encourages the audience to engage with questions of 
their own.

Topics to be addressed include:

    * Environmental scan on usage data: What data is being
      collected and why? What's missing?

    * COUNTER: Learn about COUNTER (Counting Online Usage of
      NeTworked Electronic Resources) and how the Codes of
      Practice improve the reliability of online usage
      statistics.

    * Library Perspective: How are data collected and what
      administrative questions does it answer?

    * Publisher Perspective: How are data collected and
      disseminated, and how does it affect sales and pricing?

    * Aggregator Perspective: How are data compiled from
      disparate content providers, and what reporting is being
      done?

    * SUSHI: Learn how the SUSHI (Standardized Usage Statistics
      Harvesting Initiative) protocol can automate the retrieval
      of COUNTER and other usage statistics.

    * Case Study: The large-scale harvesting of electronic
      resources usage data in a collaboration between a data
      aggregator, software provider, and academic library.

    * Next steps: Once you have data, what do you do with them?
      Learn about applications of usage data, including impact on
      collections decisions, services, and quality rankings.

Registration is now open. The early bird discount closes October 
18th. NISO and Amigos members are eligible for substantial 
discounts. Visit the event webpage 
(http://www.niso.org/news/events_workshops/usage07/ l) for more 
information or contact Karen Wetzel, NISO Standards Program 
Manager, at kwetzel@niso.org

Amigos Library Services is a cosponsor with NISO of the forum and 
Ex Libris is a major sponsor. Additional sponsors are Innovative 
Interfaces, Serials Solutions, and Thomson Scientific.

Cynthia Hodgson
NISO Technical Editor Consultant
National Information Standards Organization
Email: chodgson@niso.org
Phone: 301-654-2512