Just in Case or Just in Time? Outcomes of a 15-Month Patron-Driven Acquisition of E-Books at the University of Arkansas Libraries

Abstract

This article provides an in-depth analysis of one academic library's experience with a modest sample of titles and 15-month results of a patron-driven acquisition program. We report on the analysis of the books purchased and used based on the ebrary patron-driven acquisition titles loaded in the University of Arkansas Libraries’ catalog from June 1, 2012 to September 4, 2013. This article presents an overview of the project, the objectives and methodology used in the study, and an analysis of the characteristics of the books that were used and purchased. It also includes a comparative evaluation of the titles selected by patrons to those selected by other libraries to determine whether the patrons made good choices, and recommendations on whether it is advantageous to buy the books on the first or subsequent uses.