"evidence based" products for improving librarian decision making:

“Evidence based” products for improving

librarian decision making:

A critical analysis

Denise KoufogiannakisJuly 7, 2015 | EBLIP8

1.BACKGROUND

What’s going on?

2.AIMS

Aims

This study sought to explore which

products are being promoted as

evidence based, how they are being

presented to librarians, and what types of

messages are being conveyed. Are

these new tools useful or is evidence

based terminology simply being applied

as a marketing strategy?

3.METHODOLOGY

Methodology

▷ Qualitative approach

▷ Discourse analysiso content analysis

o textual analysis

Methods

5 LIS practitioner magazines searched:

▷ Library Journal (USA)

▷ American Libraries (USA)

▷ Feliciter (Canada)

▷ INCITE (Australia)

▷ CILIP Update (UK)

5 years of content searched: 2010-14

Methods

Websites & promotional brochures of

identified products

email promotion, vendor trade shows

4.FINDINGS

12 texts:

▷ Library Journal

(10)

▷ CILIP (1)

▷ INCITE (1)

LIS magazine analysis

Type of content:

▷ article (5)

▷ webcast

promotion (4)

▷ ad (2)

▷ interview (1)

▷ Baker & Taylor’s collectionHQ (9 texts)o Evidence Based

Selection Planning (2)o Evidence Based Stock

Management (1)▷ Innovative Interfaces

Decision Center (3)▷ CIVIC technologies (2)▷ EnvisionWare Enterprise

Reporter (2)▷ Intota Assessment (2)

Products mentioned

▷ 360 Counter Service (1)▷ Gale Analytics on

Demand (1)▷ Bowker Book Analysis

(1)▷ iPro Live (1)▷ Nielsen Bookdata (1)▷ Resources for College

Libraries (1)▷ Ulrich’s Serials Analysis

(1)▷ Zoho Creator (1)

What do these products do?

Data gathering tools for collection analysis

▷ public libraries - demographic information +

circulation information, - for management of the

collection, help with acquisition decisions

▷ academic libraries - collections related information

such as usage statistics, cost per use - for

cancellation purposes, weeding, ROI

Other data sources

Revealed a different type of product being marketed:Evidence Based Acquisition method of purchasing

▷ Alexander Street Press

▷ Cambridge University Press

▷ Elsevier▷ Gale▷ Greenleaf

Publishers taking this approach

▷ Oxford University Press

▷ Palgrave Macmillan▷ Project Muse▷ SAGE▷ Taylor & Francis▷ Wiley

The type of sell

3 selling strategies

DirectObvious - ads, etc

Direct

UnintendedNot intending to sell the product

Direct

Stealthhidden, deceptive

Unintended

Terminology used to sell

Magazines

▷ time saving

▷ makes the librarian’s job easier

▷ enables libraries to do more

▷ improves collection management

▷ used by other satisfied customers

▷ dependable

▷ have well-developed infrastructure

▷ easy to use

▷ high quality

Evidence Based Acq.

▷ smart purchasing decisions

▷ “you decide”

▷ Meet direct needs of user

base

▷ maximize budget/flexibility

▷ support decision making

“CHQ can extract data from any integrated

library system (ILS) and then, through a suite of

web-based modules, create a data-driven plan

to build and deploy a library’s physical

collection. CHQ makes clear what materials to

buy and in what quantity to meet patron

demand. It also makes transfers among

branches and weeding quick, evidence-based

activities.LJ3 - Article written by LJ editor

“introducing this unique purchase model allows

our customers to experience the platform with

little risk and also enables them to make smart

purchasing decisions that they can feel

comfortable are meeting the direct needs of

their user base.Gale Virtual Reference Library

5.DISCUSSION

Discussion

▷ Useful products? Evidence-based products?

▷ Has EBLIP finally arrived? Have we allowed vendors to apply “evidence-based” without question? Does this diminish meaning?

▷ Need to be critical.

Thank you!Any questions?

dak@ualberta.ca

@dkouf

Credits

Special thanks to all the people who made

and released these awesome resources for

free:

▷ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival

▷ Photographs by Unsplash