Library Quarterly Report FY22 Q3: January-March 2022

Database Usage

Use of library subscription databases dropped back closer to "normal" levels this quarter. Total downloads were just below average at 2,820 full-text downloads, though our 5-year average is closer to 3,200/quarter. During the past 2 years of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic we have seen unpredictable swings in database usage, from a record high of 4,302 (October-December 2020) to a modern-day low of 1,915 last quarter. As is typically the case, this quarter we saw strongest usage from the ASTM Compass, Knovel, and ASCE Library. However, we have also noticed an uptick in access to eBooks in Skillsoft Books. We suspect that is due to the creation and early success of the Innovation Guide, which lists about 50 eBooks, 35 of which are in Skillsoft.

The Library continues to expand access to resources through "self-service" online subscription databases. We now provide 19 subscription databases to VDOT employees (17 of those are "full text" resources). The table here shows the number of downloads per month (below) from each database. The trend over the past year (right), which spiked in July, dropped quickly in the following months, but picked back up in the new year.

Subscription database usage FY22 Q3: January-March 2022

Subscription Downloads By VDOT: FY22 Q3
	January	February	March	Total
ASTM Compass	407	406	381	1,194
Knovel	56	142	239	437
ASCE Library	112	103	202	417
Skillsoft Books	53	65	140	258
TRR (Sage)	81	70	103	254
Non-Subscription Downloads (EOS Catalog)	23	66	21	110
EBSCO eBooks	6	17	24	47
EBSCO Business Source Corporate Plus	3	25	14	42
* Miscellaneous Journals	17	12	9	38
ScienceDirect	5	1	8	14
EBSCO Business Book Summaries	0	0	10	10
Monthly Totals	762	907	1,151	2,820

* Miscellaneous Journals: Includes journals from the ICE Virtual Library collection, Taylor & Francis, ACI and Corrosion.

Library Quarterly Report FY22 Q3: January-March 2022

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