effort will go into filling out the worksheet, so it is good practice to have a back up copy in the cloud in case anything happens to the local file. effort will go into filling out the worksheet, so it is good practice to have a back up copy in the cloud in case anything happens to the local file. effort will go into filling out the worksheet, so it is good practice to have a back up copy in the cloud in case anything happens to the local file.A screen shot of a section of the worksheet for 2021-2022 stats is shown below.  The worksheet contains a column for the vendors and columns for each of the four usage stats questions, subdivided by the possible sources of data.  Use the last column to explain non-standard data.  Browse through the completed worksheet for 2021-2022 to see the various types of notes and to see what it looks like filled in.  Blank cells are shaded in grey after stats are added to a row to make it easy to see from which report the data for a particular vendor originated.


.  Blank cells are shaded in grey after stats are added to a row to make it easy to see from which report the data for a particular vendor originated..  Blank cells are shaded in grey after stats are added to a row to make it easy to see from which report the data for a particular vendor originated..  Blank cells are shaded in grey after stats are added to a row to make it easy to see from which report the data for a particular vendor originated.The last three rows of the worksheet automatically tally up the statistics.  The Sub-Totals row contains the totals for each data type.  Question Totals are added to the ACRL Survey in the cells for Q60B, Q61B, Q62B, and Q63B.  The Grand Total is the sum our e-circulation statistics for GC subscription databses, CUNY-wide subscription databases, streaming media databases, and OA resources discoverable in OneSearch and is entered in the space for Q63.1 in the Survey. To set up the worksheet for data collection, copy and paste the list of vendors compiled in the VENDORS tab of the Q41-Q42 worksheet into the first column of the Q60B-Q63B worksheet.  Delete any empty rows (before the last three sum rows), delete the template instructions highlighted in orange, change the date updated, and save the file. The worksheet is now ready to collect data.


Vendor Account Credentials:


Vendor Account Credentials:Vendor Account Credentials:The Accounts - Vendors folder on the Library Intranet contains an Excel file titled " Accounts - Log Ins - Usage Stats " which is a list of vendors with URLs, login credentials, tips, contact information, and other details for each vendor included in the stats reported for the 2021-2022 period. There are some additional vendors on the list who were contacted about administrator credentials or stats reports. Some of the vendor logins are generic and can be used by anyone with the credentials.  Others are user-specific and every person needs their own.  Requesting administrative credentials from some vendors can be done with a simple email request.  Other vendors have more rigorous authentication requirements, so it is a good idea to line up administrative access for each vendor early in the stats gathering process.


more rigorous authentication requirements, so it is a good idea to line up administrative access for each vendor early in the stats gathering process.more rigorous authentication requirements, so it is a good idea to line up administrative access for each vendor early in the stats gathering process.more rigorous authentication requirements, so it is a good idea to line up administrative access for each vendor early in the stats gathering process.Several vendors on the list do not require admin credentials to access usage stats but you must visit their websites from a computer in the GC's IP address range to access the information. Some vendors do not have statistics portals on ther websites.  For those vendors, request usage stats via email. Keep the file up to date as new information is added or existing information is updated.  And be sure to change the date updated at the top of the sheet.  Work locally, if preferred, but upload the updated Excel file to the intranet at the end of each day in which changes were made.


Basic Stats Gathering Workflow:


Basic Stats Gathering Workflow:Basic Stats Gathering Workflow:Gathering COUNTER 5 and COUNTER 4 usage reports from vendors that have librarian / administrator portals on their websites is quick and easy. However, not all vendors offer standard usage statistics.  Some offer their own versions of usage reports instead.  All you can do is access whatever is available and enter the numbers into the appropriate columns of the worksheet with a brief description in the Notes column, where needed. When vendors do not have online statistics portals, email them directly to request usage statistics.  Again, enter whatever numbers you can into the appropriate columns of the worksheet, and add a description in the Notes column.


est usage statistics.  Again, enter whatever numbers you can into the appropriate columns of the worksheet, and add a description in the Notes column.est usage statistics.  Again, enter whatever numbers you can into the appropriate columns of the worksheet, and add a description in the Notes column.est usage statistics.  Again, enter whatever numbers you can into the appropriate columns of the worksheet, and add a description in the Notes column.And finally, some vendors, particularly Open Access vendors, do not offer usage stats at all.  If we attempted to gather stats or credentials from them previously, that information will be noted in the Accounts-Log Ins-Usage Stats spreadsheet.  Simply delete from the current Q60B-Q63B worksheet the rows for vendors that don't supply usage data, even though the resources were counted in Q41B. Basic Workflow Browse the previous year's Q60B-Q63B worksheet to see which types of reports were available for particular vendors. Create a local folder to hold all the vendor statistics reports you will download or receive via email. Open the new Q60B-Q63B worksheet and change the date updated at the top of the page. Select a vendor to research and highlight the row in a color to indicate it is in progress.


ksheet and change the date updated at the top of the page. Select a vendor to research and highlight the row in a color to indicate it is in progress.ksheet and change the date updated at the top of the page. Select a vendor to research and highlight the row in a color to indicate it is in progress.ksheet and change the date updated at the top of the page. Select a vendor to research and highlight the row in a color to indicate it is in progress.Check the Accounts-Log Ins-Usage Stats spreadsheet to see how to access a vendor's statistics.  If credentials are needed or if usage statistics must be requested via email, contact the vendor as instructed, update the Accounts spreadsheet if needed, and move on to another vendor. Download statistics reports by following the step-by-step instructions below and save them in the local Vendor Stats folder. Sort and crunch the data and add the totals to the Q60B-Q63B worksheet in the appropriate columns. If the data is from a non-standard report, indicate the source and type of information in the Notes column. Remove the "in progress" highlighting and shade the empty cells of the row in grey or another light color to make it easier to view the data once the chart is filled in. Save the worksheet frequently and upload it to the intranet at the end of each day.


Vendor Statistics Reports:
Create a local folder to store all of the vendor reports that will be downloaded or received via email.  Adopt a standard file naming convention to make it easy to find particular reports when you need them. For example, files could be named like this:  "Vendor-Report-Date-Range.xls" which would be:  "Cambridge-TR_B1-2021-07-01-2022-06-30.xls" or "JSTOR_TR_J1-2021-07-01-06-30.xls." Look in the Vendor Statistics folders to see the downloaded, customized, sorted reports for 2021-2022. It is not necessary to save the unedited downloaded vendor reports since they can be downloaded again at any time. When the stats gathering is complete, move the statistics reports to the Vendor Statistics folder on the intranet for the current year.


Q60B - Books & Media (COUNTER 5 & Other):
For Q60B, report usage of electronic books and media from COUNTER 5 TR_B1 reports for books and COUNTER 5 IR_M1 reports for media. (COUNTER 4 data will be reported in Q61B and Q62B.)  When vendors only offer non-COUNTER data, enter the info from whatever reports they provide in the Books/Media sub-column of Q60B and note the type and origin of the data in the Notes column.  For books, count the metric type “unique title requests” in TR_B1 reports and for media, count the metric type “total item requests” in IR_M1 reports.


For books, count the metric type “unique title requests” in TR_B1 reports and for media, count the metric type “total item requests” in IR_M1 reports.The steps below show how to run, sort, and crunch e-books usage data using the COUNTER 5 TR_B1 report from Cambridge University Press.  To see what this TR_B1 report and others will look like when complete, see the 2021-2022 Vendor Statistics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Cambridge Uniersity Press to indicate that it is in progress.


s folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Cambridge Uniersity Press to indicate that it is in progress.s folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Cambridge Uniersity Press to indicate that it is in progress.s folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Cambridge Uniersity Press to indicate that it is in progress.Download the Vendor’s Usage Statistics Report Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials Follow instructions to log in and navigate to the usage statistics section Scroll down on the COUNTER 5 portal page to choose the report variables Select the reporting period:  July 2021 through June 2022 Select Report Type:  TR B1 Select File Type:  TSV and press Enter When the report is ready, click to download Open the TSV file Control+A to select all Open a new Excel workbook Place the cursor in the first cell and right click to paste the data from the TSV file Save the file in the local Stats Reports folder.  Use a standard naming convention when saving stats report.  Include the Vendor Name, Report Name, Date Range, e.g.:  Cambridge-TR_B1-07-01-2021-06-30-2022. Customize the Spreadsheet & Sort and Calculate the Data The next step is to sort and crunch the data.


e, e.g.:  Cambridge-TR_B1-07-01-2021-06-30-2022. Customize the Spreadsheet & Sort and Calculate the Data The next step is to sort and crunch the data.e, e.g.:  Cambridge-TR_B1-07-01-2021-06-30-2022. Customize the Spreadsheet & Sort and Calculate the Data The next step is to sort and crunch the data.e, e.g.:  Cambridge-TR_B1-07-01-2021-06-30-2022. Customize the Spreadsheet & Sort and Calculate the Data The next step is to sort and crunch the data.Highlight the report type (TR_B1) and vendor name (Cambridge) in light green (or other color) to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet. The COUNTER 5 metric type to collect for e-books is “Unique Title Requests” but because the TR_B1 report combines Unique Title Requests and Total Item Requests in the same column, the data must be sorted and the two metrics added up separately. Hide unneeded columns from the display to make sorting and tallying easier.  Leave the Reporting Period Total column visible and start in the column after Reporting.  At the top of the spreadsheet select the columns showing the months and hide them (Select Columns N through Y  >>  Right Click  >>  Hide). Sort the data by metric type:  Select the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).


ide). Sort the data by metric type:  Select the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).ide). Sort the data by metric type:  Select the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).ide). Sort the data by metric type:  Select the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).After selecting the data, sort:  Select  >>  Data  >>  Sort >>  Check – My data has headers >>  Sort By:  Metric Type  >>  Sort On:  Cell Values  >>  Order:  A-Z  >>  Click OK. So you'll have a place to fill in the totals, add Metric Type headings to the spreadsheet.  Several rows above the column headers in the Metric Type column, type the titles of the two metric types.  Put Total Item Requests in one row and Unique Item Requests in the row below it.  The totals for each type will be calculated in the adjacent cells. Save the file. Add up the Total Item Requests:  With the cursor in the cell adjacent to Total Item Requests, click on the SUM icon at the top right side of the screen and select all of the Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.


e Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.e Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.e Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.Add up the Unique Item Requests:  With the cursor in the cell adjacent to Unique Item Requests, click on the SUM icon and select all of the Unique Item Requests numbers in the column and press Enter. To double check the figures, add together the two sums just calculated and separately add up all the numbers in the column.  Put the cursor in the cell underneath the two sums, click on the SUM icon and press Enter.  The two cells above should automatically be selected to give a total of all requests. Put the cursor in the cell adjacent to the sum of all item requests and click on the SUM icon one more time.  Then, select ALL the numbers in the Reporting Period Total column and press Enter.  The two sums should match.  If not, check the formulas used to add up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file.


up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file. up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file. up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file.Type the Unique Item Requests total into the TR_B1 cell of the Q60B-Q63B worksheet for the vendor Cambridge and save the file. Run additional reports to gather e-media and e-serials stats for this vendor if needed (see examples).  When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.


(see examples).  When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.The steps below show how to run, sort, and crunch e-media usage data using the COUNTER 5 IR_M1 report from Alexander Street Press.  To see what this IR_M1 report and others will look like when complete, see the 2021-2022 Vendor Statistics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Alexander Street Press to indicate that it is in progress.


tics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Alexander Street Press to indicate that it is in progress.tics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Alexander Street Press to indicate that it is in progress.tics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for Alexander Street Press to indicate that it is in progress.Download the Vendor’s Usage Statistics Report Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials Follow instructions to log in and navigate to Usage Statistics Select COUNTER Usage Statistics Select the report Multimedia Item Requests, IR_M1 Enter the custom date range – July 202x – June 202x Select:  Download Select File Type:  XLS Click Download to run the report Open the Excel file and save it in the local Stats Reports folder using a standard file name (Vendor-IR_M1-date-range.xls):  e.g., AlexanderStreet-IR_M1-202x-07-01-202x-06-30.  You can leave the rest of the automatically generated filename intact; the important thing is to put the vendor name at the beginning and to include the report type in the file name. Customize the Spreadsheet and Calculate the Data Highlight the report type (IR_M1) and vendor name (Alexander Street Press) in light green (or other color) to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet.


report type (IR_M1) and vendor name (Alexander Street Press) in light green (or other color) to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet. report type (IR_M1) and vendor name (Alexander Street Press) in light green (or other color) to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet. report type (IR_M1) and vendor name (Alexander Street Press) in light green (or other color) to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet.The COUNTER 5 metric type to collect for e-media is “Total Item Requests.” Hide unneeded columns from the display to make the file easier to use.  Leave the Reporting Period Total column visible and start in the column after Reporting.  At the top of the spreadsheet select the columns showing the months and hide them (Select Columns  >>  Right Click  >>  Hide). If data for only one metric type (Total Item Requests) is included, there is no need to sort the data.  Simply add up all the numbers in the column. But if Unique Item Requests are included in the same column as Total Item Requests, sort as for the TR_B1 report. Add up the Total Item Requests in the Reporting column. Highlight the Total Item Requests figure in light green and save the file. Type the Total Item Requests sum into the IR_M1 cell of the Q60B-Q63B worksheet for the vendor Alexander Street Press and save the file.


ave the file. Type the Total Item Requests sum into the IR_M1 cell of the Q60B-Q63B worksheet for the vendor Alexander Street Press and save the file.ave the file. Type the Total Item Requests sum into the IR_M1 cell of the Q60B-Q63B worksheet for the vendor Alexander Street Press and save the file.ave the file. Type the Total Item Requests sum into the IR_M1 cell of the Q60B-Q63B worksheet for the vendor Alexander Street Press and save the file.Run additional reports to gather e-books and e-serials stats for this vendor if needed (see examples).  When finished, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey and move on to another vendor.


vendor if needed (see examples).  When finished, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey and move on to another vendor.When vendors do not offer COUNTER 5 TR_B1 and IR_M1 reports or COUNTER 4 data (which is reported in Q61B) for e-books and e-media, download whatever reports they offer, which might be other COUNTER 5 reports or their own variations of usage reports.  The types of data vendors offer might include the number of site searches, total item requests, full views, tracks played, total number of record views, total number of unique views, total hits, total page views, etc.  Select the option that makes the most sense from any variations offered. Basic Workflow Steps for Downloading Non-COUNTER Stats Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for the vendor you are researching to indicate that it is in progress. Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials. Follow instructions to log in and navigate to Usage Statistics.


ndicate that it is in progress. Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials. Follow instructions to log in and navigate to Usage Statistics.ndicate that it is in progress. Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials. Follow instructions to log in and navigate to Usage Statistics.ndicate that it is in progress. Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials. Follow instructions to log in and navigate to Usage Statistics.Take a look to see what information is available.  Sometimes COUNTER 5 reports other than TR_B1 or IR_M1 will be available.  If so, look through the offerings to select a customizable report that will show usage data for e-books and/or e-media. The Platform report is a good bet. Select the reporting period:  July 202x through June 202x. Select File Type:  TSV, CSV, or XLS. Download the report and save it as an Excel File in the Vendor Statistics folder, following the naming convention that includes Vendor Name, Report Name, Date Range, e.g.:  Harvard-C5_PR-2021-070-01-2022-06-30. Highlight the vendor name and report type to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet. Sort the data by metric type, if needed, to separate different types of data in the same column.  Ideally, look for Total Item Request for books and Unique Item Requests for Media.  The idea is to find data similar to what is collected in the TR_B1 and IR_M1 reports.


otal Item Request for books and Unique Item Requests for Media.  The idea is to find data similar to what is collected in the TR_B1 and IR_M1 reports.otal Item Request for books and Unique Item Requests for Media.  The idea is to find data similar to what is collected in the TR_B1 and IR_M1 reports.otal Item Request for books and Unique Item Requests for Media.  The idea is to find data similar to what is collected in the TR_B1 and IR_M1 reports.Add the monthly totals together, if necessary, to get the grand total for the reporting period.  Highlight the total and save the spreadsheet. Enter the stats figure for the vendor into the “Other Reports” sub-column for Q60B in the Q60B-Q63B worksheet, indicate the type and source of data in the Notes column, and Run additional reports to gather e-serials stats for the vendor if needed. When finished with this vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.


endor if needed. When finished with this vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.endor if needed. When finished with this vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.endor if needed. When finished with this vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.Email Requests When the Accounts spreadsheet indicates that you must contact a vendor directly to obtain stats, write to the address indicated to request the data needed for the date range.  In some cases, it can take time to receive a reply.  When the information arrives, save the spreadsheet, pdf, or Word file in the Vendor Statstistics folder with a name that follows the established naming comvention..  Highlight the Vendor name and the figure being reported and save the file.  Add the figure to the "Other Reports" sub-column and indicate the source and type of data in the Notes column.  Remove the "in progress" highlighting, shade the unused cells in gray, and move on to another vendor.


Q61B - Books & Media (COUNTER 4 - BR1 & MR1):


Q61B - Books & Media (COUNTER 4 - BR1 & MR1):Q61B - Books & Media (COUNTER 4 - BR1 & MR1):Very few vendors on our list -- only two or three -- provide only COUNTER 4 data.  See the 2021-2022 Q60B-Q63B worksheet for details.  Since COUNTER 4 is an older standard, those vendors will presumably eventually move to the newer COUNTER 5 standard data. Until then, if COUNTER 4 usage data is all that's available, use the BR1 or BR2 report for e-books and the MR1 or MR2 report for e-media. Record BR1 and MR1 data in Q61B.  Record BR2 and MR2 data in Q62B.


lable, use the BR1 or BR2 report for e-books and the MR1 or MR2 report for e-media. Record BR1 and MR1 data in Q61B.  Record BR2 and MR2 data in Q62B.lable, use the BR1 or BR2 report for e-books and the MR1 or MR2 report for e-media. Record BR1 and MR1 data in Q61B.  Record BR2 and MR2 data in Q62B.lable, use the BR1 or BR2 report for e-books and the MR1 or MR2 report for e-media. Record BR1 and MR1 data in Q61B.  Record BR2 and MR2 data in Q62B.User the COUNTER 4 BR1 report for e-books if it is available.  If only COUNTER 4 BR2 is available, skip to Q62B.  Read through the COUNTER 5 TR_B1 report instructions and adapt them for the COUNTER 4 BR1 report.  The process will be similar but the options and interface will be different.  Look for the count of Unique Title Requests for e-books, or as close to that as you can get.  Set the custom date range.  Download the report and convert it to Excel, if necessary.  Sort the data if more than one metric type is included in the totals column and add them up separately.  Save the report in the local Vendor Stats Reports Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR1 report in the e-books sub-column for Q61B.


Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR1 report in the e-books sub-column for Q61B.Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR1 report in the e-books sub-column for Q61B.Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR1 report in the e-books sub-column for Q61B.Use the COUNTER 4 MR1 report for e-media if it is available.  If only COUNTER 4 MR2 is availble, skip to Q62B.  The process is similar to the steps above.  Look for Total Item Requests, or similar figure, rather than Unique Item Requests.  Set the custom date range.  Download the report and convert it to Excel, if necessary.  Sort the data if more than one metric type is included in the totals column and add them up separately.  Save the report in the local Vendor Stats Reports Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Total Item Requests from the MR1 report  in the e-media sub-column for Q61B.


Q62B - Books & Media (COUNTER 4 - BR2 & MR2):


Q62B - Books & Media (COUNTER 4 - BR2 & MR2):Q62B - Books & Media (COUNTER 4 - BR2 & MR2):When vendors offer only COUNTER 4 data but the BR1 and MR1 reports for e-books and e-media are not available, use the BR2 and MR2 reports.  As mentioned above, only two or three of the vendors on our list provide only COUNTER 4 data and they will likely eventually move to the newer COUNTER 5 data standard. See the 2021-2022 Q60-Q63 worksheet for details.


rovide only COUNTER 4 data and they will likely eventually move to the newer COUNTER 5 data standard. See the 2021-2022 Q60-Q63 worksheet for details.rovide only COUNTER 4 data and they will likely eventually move to the newer COUNTER 5 data standard. See the 2021-2022 Q60-Q63 worksheet for details.rovide only COUNTER 4 data and they will likely eventually move to the newer COUNTER 5 data standard. See the 2021-2022 Q60-Q63 worksheet for details.Use the BR2 report for e-books stats for Q62B.  Read through the instructions for the COUNTER 4 BR1 report and adapt them for BR2.  The process will be similar but the options and interface may be different.  Look for the count of Unique Title Requests for e-books, or as close to that as you can get.  Set the custom date range.  Download the report and convert it to Excel, if necessary.  Sort the data if more than one metric type is included in the totals column and add them up separately.  Save the report in the local Vendor Stats Reports Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR2 report in the e-books sub-column for Q62B.


Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR2 report in the e-books sub-column for Q62B.Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR2 report in the e-books sub-column for Q62B.Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Unique Title Requests from the BR2 report in the e-books sub-column for Q62B.Use the MR2 report for e-media stats for Q62B.  The process is similar to the steps above.  Look for Total Item Requests, or similar figure, rather than Unique Item Requests.  Set the custom date range.  Download the report and convert it to Excel, if necessary.  Sort the data if more than one metric type is included in the totals column and add them up separately.  Save the report in the local Vendor Stats Reports Report folder named according to the established convention.  Report the Total Item Requests from the MR2 report  in the e-media sub-column for Q62B.


Q63B - Serials (COUNTER 5 & Other):


Q63B - Serials (COUNTER 5 & Other):Q63B - Serials (COUNTER 5 & Other):The steps below show how to run, sort, and crunch e-serials usage data using the COUNTER 5 TR_J1 report from JSTOR.   To see what this TR_J1 spreadsheet and the others will look like when complete, look in the Vendor Statistics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for JSTOR to indicate that it is in progress.


the Vendor Statistics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for JSTOR to indicate that it is in progress. the Vendor Statistics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for JSTOR to indicate that it is in progress. the Vendor Statistics folder on the Library intranet. Open the Q60-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for JSTOR to indicate that it is in progress.Download the Vendor’s Usage Statistics Report Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials Follow instructions to log in and navigate to Usage Statistics Select COUNTER Usage Statistics Select “Create Reports” From the drop down menu, select the report TR_J1 – Journal Requests (Excluding OA_Gold) Select Format:  XLS Select Type:  One Time Enter the custom date range – July 1, 202x – June 30, 202x Enter your email address and press Enter The report request will say “pending” until it is ready Select:  Download when complete Open the Excel file and save it in the local Stats Reports folder using a standard file name (Vendor-IR_M1-date-range.xls):  e.g., JSTOR-TR_J1-202x-07-01-202x-06-30.  You can leave the rest of the automatically generated filename intact; the important thing is to put the vendor name at the beginning and to include the report type in the file name.


tomatically generated filename intact; the important thing is to put the vendor name at the beginning and to include the report type in the file name.tomatically generated filename intact; the important thing is to put the vendor name at the beginning and to include the report type in the file name.tomatically generated filename intact; the important thing is to put the vendor name at the beginning and to include the report type in the file name.Customize the Spreadsheet & Sort and Calculate the Data Highlight the report type (TR_J1) and vendor name (JSTOR) in light green (or other color) to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet. The COUNTER 5 metric type to collect for e-serials is “Unique Title Requests” but because the TR_J1 report returns Unique Title Requests and Total Item Requests, the data must be sorted and the two metrics added up separately. Hide unneeded month total columns from the display to make sorting and tallying easier.  Leave the Reporting Period Total column visible and start in the column after Reporting.  At the top of the spreadsheet select the columns showing the months July through June and hide them (Select Columns >>  Right Click  >>  Hide). Sort the data by metric type:  Select the full the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).


t the data by metric type:  Select the full the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).t the data by metric type:  Select the full the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).t the data by metric type:  Select the full the table starting with the header rows (Title, Publisher, etc., and extending to the first empty column).After selecting the data, sort:  Select  >>  Data  >>  Sort >>  Check – My data has headers >>  Sort By:  Metric Type  >>  Sort On:  Cell Values  >>  Order:  A-Z  >>  Click OK. So you'll have a place to fill in the totals, add Metric Type headings to the spreadsheet.  Type the titles of the two metric types in the Metric Type column, several rows above the headers.  Put Total Item Requests in one row and Unique Item Requests in the row below it.  The totals for each type will be calculated in the adjacent cells. Save the file. Add up the Total Item Requests:  With the cursor in the cell adjacent to Total Item Requests, click on the SUM icon at the top right side of the screen and select all of the Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.


e Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.e Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.e Total Item Requests numbers in the Reporting column – scroll all the way to the cell above the Unique Item Requests numbers begin – and press Enter.Add up the Unique Item Requests:  With the cursor in the cell adjacent to Unique Item Requests, click on the SUM icon and select all of the Unique Item Requests numbers in the column and press Enter. To double check the figures, add together the two sums just calculated and separately add up all the numbers in the column.  Put the cursor in the cell underneath the two sums, click on the SUM icon and press Enter.  The two cells above should automatically be selected to give a total of all requests. Put the cursor in the cell adjacent to the sum of all item requests and click on the SUM icon one more time.  Then, select ALL the numbers in the Reporting Period Total column and press Enter.  The two sums should match.  If not, check the formulas used to add up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file.


up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file. up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file. up the Total Item and Unique Item requests and correct whatever is not accurate. Highlight the Unique Item Requests in light green and save the file.Type the Unique Item Requests total into the TR_J1 cell of the Q60B-Q63B worksheet for the vendor JSTOR and save the file. Run additional reports to gather e-books and e-media stats for this vendor if needed (see examples).  When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.


(see examples).  When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.If vendors do not supply COUNTER 5 TR_J1 reports for e-serials usage, use whatever data is available, including from other COUNTER 5 reports, COUNTER 4 reports, and vendor supplied non-COUNTER reports.  The types of data vendors offer might include the number of site searches, total item requests, full views, etc.  Use any measure provided or full text downloads or views and enter the information into the "other reports" sub-column for Q63B. For reference, see the Q60B-Q63B worksheet for 2021-2022 for the vendors. Basic Workflow Steps for Downloading Non-COUNTER Stats Open the Q60B-Q63B worksheet and highlight the row for the vendor you are researching to indicate that it is in progress. Check the Accounts spreadsheet for log in credentials. Follow instructions to log in and navigate to Usage Statistics. Take a look to see what is available. Select the reporting period:  July 202x through June 202x. Select File Type:  TSV, CSV, or XLS.


sage Statistics. Take a look to see what is available. Select the reporting period:  July 202x through June 202x. Select File Type:  TSV, CSV, or XLS.sage Statistics. Take a look to see what is available. Select the reporting period:  July 202x through June 202x. Select File Type:  TSV, CSV, or XLS.sage Statistics. Take a look to see what is available. Select the reporting period:  July 202x through June 202x. Select File Type:  TSV, CSV, or XLS.Download the report and save it as an Excel File in the Vendor Statistics folder, following the established naming convention. Highlight the vendor name and report type to make them easy to spot when you open the spreadsheet. Sort the data by metric type, if needed, to separate different types of data in the same column, and use the metric that makes the most sense -- full views or total views, e.g. Add the monthly totals together, if necessary, to get the grand total for the reporting period.  Highlight the total and save the spreadsheet. Enter the stats figure for the vendor into the “Other Reports” sub-column for Q63B and indicate the type and source of data in the Notes column. Run additional reports to gather e-books and/or e-media stats for the vendor if needed. When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.


vendor if needed. When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.vendor if needed. When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.vendor if needed. When finished with the vendor, remove the “in progress” highlighting, shade the unused cells in grey, and move on to another vendor.Email Requests When the Accounts spreadsheet indicates that you must contact a vendor directly to obtain stats, write to the address indicated to request the data needed for the date range.  In some cases, it can take time to receive a reply.  When the information arrives, save the spreadsheet, pdf, or Word file in the Vendor Statstistics folder with a name that follows the established naming comvention.  Highlight the Vendor name, report type, and the figure being reported, and save the file.  Add the figure to the "Other Reports" sub-column of Q63B and indicate the source and type of data in the Notes column.  Remove the "in progress" highlighting, shade the unused cells in gray, and move on to another vendor.


Adding Data to the ACRL Survey Worksheet & Wrapping Up:
Once all the e-resources data has been collected and crunched, double check your work to make sure the totals entered into the Q41B - Q42B and Q60B - Q63B worksheets are correct. Then, enter the figures from the two worksheets into the current year's shared ACRL Survey Worksheet Collectors spreadsheet.  The various survey questions will have been assigned to different people in the library to answer. Upload all of the vendor statistics files to the designated folder on the library intranet. Upload the final versions of the Q41B-Q42B and Q60B-Q63B worksheets to the library intranet. Delete extraneous copies of files from your own computer or cloud drive.  There is no need to save raw unedited downloaded vendor reports since they can always be downloaded again if needed. Congratulations on finishing up.  The e-resources stats gathering, crunching, and reporting for the annual ACRL Survey is complete.

Adding Data to the ACRL Survey & Wrapping Up


About this Guide:
This is an internal guide for librarians who perform collection development at the Graduate Center. It collects resources and guidelines for our annual book selection procedures.


General Resources for Approaching Collection Development:
Books:


General Resources for Approaching Collection Development:
Books:Articles: Berman, Sanford. “ Libraries to the People. ” Revolting Librarians , edited by Celeste West and Elizabeth Katz, Booklegger Press, 1972, pp. 51–57. Dilevko, Juris. "An Alternative Vision of Librarianship: James Danky and the Sociocultural Politics of Collection Development." Library Trends , vol. 56, no. 3, 2008, pp. 678-704 . ProQuest , http://ezproxy.gc.cuny.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/alternative-vision-librarianship-james-danky/docview/220456172/se-2 See here particularly the sections on debates in collection development, the impacts of outsourcing collections, and more. ...Danky asked future librarians to take it upon themselves to know "something, anything" by choosing their "own subject to become an expert on" (Danky, 1994a, p. 3).


uture librarians to take it upon themselves to know "something, anything" by choosing their "own subject to become an expert on" (Danky, 1994a, p. 3).uture librarians to take it upon themselves to know "something, anything" by choosing their "own subject to become an expert on" (Danky, 1994a, p. 3).uture librarians to take it upon themselves to know "something, anything" by choosing their "own subject to become an expert on" (Danky, 1994a, p. 3).And once they had become experts-defined as being "steeped in the literature, know[ing] the trends, know[ing] the authors or creators of new works of value" and being able to "offer informed opinions"-they would invariably contribute to strengthening their libraries' "commitment" to an active "social role" (Danky, 1994a, p. 3). Librarians with in-depth subject expertise were therefore the building blocks of any library "where all ideas, regardless of form or source, can find a home and where the curious, or desperate, can [subsequently] find" those ideas (Danky, 1994a, p. 3). Dodge, Chris. “Libraries to the People, Redux.” Revolting Librarians Redux , ed. Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2003. 128-135. Print. Journals dedicated to collection development (but of course articles on collection development issues are published throughout the field): Collection Building (ended 2017) Collection Management


Files and other Information:
In the library sharepoint, documents about collection development are generally saved in: Shared Files -> Librarian Liaison Documents -> Collection Development .


Overall Guidelines and Requirements for Monograph Spending:

Guidelines and Requirements for Monograph Ordering


Overall Guidelines and Requirements for Monograph Spending:Overall Guidelines and Requirements for Monograph Spending:Considerations when ordering: Make sure the item has what looks like a good record in OCLC; there are lots of items in OASIS because it is such a huge distributor that may not be appropriate for our collection;unbound items, strange editions, etc.


are lots of items in OASIS because it is such a huge distributor that may not be appropriate for our collection;unbound items, strange editions, etc. are lots of items in OASIS because it is such a huge distributor that may not be appropriate for our collection;unbound items, strange editions, etc. are lots of items in OASIS because it is such a huge distributor that may not be appropriate for our collection;unbound items, strange editions, etc.if they do not appear in WorldCat, that tells you the edition you have chosen is sus See OASIS instructions for screenshots for link to check Worldcat right from OASIS Please prioritize scholarly publications While we have no official restrictions on ordering scholarly vs other publishers, we are the only institution in CUNY which supports doctoral research Please prioritize works that are NOT already held in large numbers across many public libraries or already heavily represented across CUNY There are no restrictions on ordering a print copy of an OA title If you know of a single OA title that (instead of purchasing in print) you would like to have cataloged–check with Mike Handis Remember to order faculty publications from your departments Central line GC faculty should be completely represented, and contingent faculty publications are up to your discretion. Please order a print copy even if we have the electronic.


ld be completely represented, and contingent faculty publications are up to your discretion. Please order a print copy even if we have the electronic.ld be completely represented, and contingent faculty publications are up to your discretion. Please order a print copy even if we have the electronic.ld be completely represented, and contingent faculty publications are up to your discretion. Please order a print copy even if we have the electronic.Make a note in OASIS for faculty titles when ordering AND bring faculty book items to the attention of Mike Handis for cataloging (you can download a list from OASIS or send him an email with the titles) We’re still focused on PRINT books . Many ebook publishers still do not allow ILL Digital rights restrictions also make ebook purchases difficult to consider for long term stability of our purchases and ethical state spending Most ebooks are 3-4 times the price of print for the same publication (and come with restricted access) If there are special circumstances for ebooks, contact Alycia Right now please order HARDCOVER copies . pandemic greatly affected bindery services so repairing of paperbacks on hold Almost all of our orders for paperback books in 2022 and 2023 failed! HOWEVER, if a book is ONLY published in paperback and no other formats, please do still try to order via OASIS--we have had more luck in this situation .


EVER, if a book is ONLY published in paperback and no other formats, please do still try to order via OASIS--we have had more luck in this situation .EVER, if a book is ONLY published in paperback and no other formats, please do still try to order via OASIS--we have had more luck in this situation .EVER, if a book is ONLY published in paperback and no other formats, please do still try to order via OASIS--we have had more luck in this situation .Please order items that have been published in the month of APRIL before the annual deadline for orders (because it takes time for orders to be fulfilled and sent to us). If something will be published following that date, you can still order it, but will have to save it for next year's budgets. For all that is above, if there are special circumstances, please email Alycia for assistance!


Faculty Books:
Remember to order faculty publications from your departments. Please do order these titles in print even if we have an electronic copy, and use the notes field in OASIS to indicate faculty titles. Some programs generate lists of recently published books, but you also might look through the faculty profiles on each departmental website, or on the GC communications threads . Core/central line faculty should be completely represented, and contingent faculty publications are up to your discretion.


Expanding from the Graduate Center Curriculum:


Expanding from the Graduate Center Curriculum:Expanding from the Graduate Center Curriculum:Course Descriptions: Course descriptions are shared on GC program websites. While it these may not be as detailed as a full syllabus reading list, these summaries sometimes supply lists of key texts that will be used in the course. Graduate Council approves new courses at the Graduate Center. You can browse through the Graduate Council Archive to see this information (new course descriptions are usually shared attached to each meeting agenda). Syllabi There is no repository for GC syllabi; but you could request them from your faculty (and when you teach you are usually given the syllabus!). Course Reserves GC course reserves are password protected but Mike D, Melissa or Alycia can share the list of assigned books with you if you would like to supplement beyond the assigned texts for a particular course or area. Exam Lists Departments vary as to whether they have a set of assigned texts for comprehensive or oral exams.


ed texts for a particular course or area. Exam Lists Departments vary as to whether they have a set of assigned texts for comprehensive or oral exams.ed texts for a particular course or area. Exam Lists Departments vary as to whether they have a set of assigned texts for comprehensive or oral exams.ed texts for a particular course or area. Exam Lists Departments vary as to whether they have a set of assigned texts for comprehensive or oral exams.You could ask your APO or EO if they can share such lists with you if they are not already on the program's website. Consultations Are there themes that have come up in your work with students in your program that we could better support through our monograph ordering? Reference Desk Don't forget to take into account what you have observed at the reference desk or ask our NTAs if they have suggestions from their work in your program areas. Events in your Departments Are there book talks being organized in your department? Are there programs that highlight themes for the year? Sometimes these events can help you to think about how to supplement our collection beyond a program's curriculum directly.


Current Budgets and Deadlines:
Fiscal year 2025 (FY25) monograph allocations by program (Fall 2024/Spring 2025) Column I: allocations for each program Columns K, L: half of the total the allocation for each program so that you can see what you have to spend by February Columns N-Q: shows your total spending for the year and what you have left overall. The date spending was last checked is noted in cell N4 If you need more recent data on your spending, you can check yourself inside OASIS, instructions are here . There are two deadlines for FY25: February 19, 2025 : please have half of your budgets spent by this date. June 25, 2025 : whatever funds you have not spent after this date will be reallocated.


Working Meetings:
Drop-in zoom working meetings to chat about collection development or ask questions are scheduled this semester, check your outlook invite for scheduled times (or the Mina Rees Library Calendar). Tuesday, February 4 at 11am Thursday, February 13 at 11am Thursday, April 10 at 11am Friday, May 16 at 11am Wednesday, June 4 at 11am Wednesday, June 18 at 11am


Fund Codes:
Please do not go over your total overall allocated budget for the year as the overarching rule! This year we are trying to monitor our spending by allocation a bit better--please do your best within reason to use the appropriate fund code for each book.


OASIS Ordering Instructions:
How to Order Monographs in OASIS (instructions by Alycia): This is an overall guide to how to place monograph orders in OASIS

How to Search OASIS by Fund Code (instructions by Alycia): A guide which shows how you can search order information in OASIS to see how much you have spent for each of your program areas, which each have an assigned Fund Code


ProQuest OASIS Resources:
ProQuest OASIS Libguide: A libguide from ProQuest about OASIS. Includes short videos and other documentation.


Inside OASIS, you can: Use Slip notifications: these are newly published books published within a call number range assigned to you Link to reviews of a title: Use the "Curated by ProQuest" book lists under "Review Titles" Working with Lists in OASIS Status Notifications : a guide to statuses in OASIS and what they mean Stock availability explanations In Stock. Rush Available. Books on shelf and ready to ship. In stock with supplier. There is stock on hand with a supplier. Shipping times will depend on best available discount. Available from supplier. Expected to ship in X-Y weeks. Title is available from a supplier. Shipping estimate based on current averages. Ebook available. This title is available on an ebook platform for immediate purchase and can often be viewed using the See inside the book link. Not yet published. Advance orders accepted. Orders will ship as soon as title becomes available. Not currently in stock. Orders accepted. We will attempt to source.


hed. Advance orders accepted. Orders will ship as soon as title becomes available. Not currently in stock. Orders accepted. We will attempt to source.hed. Advance orders accepted. Orders will ship as soon as title becomes available. Not currently in stock. Orders accepted. We will attempt to source.hed. Advance orders accepted. Orders will ship as soon as title becomes available. Not currently in stock. Orders accepted. We will attempt to source.Shipping time is unknown.


Academic Presses:
Academic University Presses Subject Area Grid: Published annually in the Association of University Presses Directory, the Association also makes the Subject Area Grid available as a free download. The grid indicates the subject areas in which each member press has a strong interest.

Association of University Presses: Member List: The Association of University Presses has more than 150 members located around the world. This online directory contains a guide to presses publishing in various subject areas, editorial profiles of each press, and contact information for publishing staff.

New Books Network: The NBN is a network of author-interview podcasts focused on academic books.


Book Reviews:
CHOICE Reviews: Choice Reviews gives access to a comprehensive archive of more than 200,000 reviews representing more than a quarter-century of scholarship. For our GC subscription, you must generate your account while in GC IP range for the first login (then following that, you can log in from anywhere)

Saved searches can be programmed to run at regular intervals and to alert you to new additions to the search results. Click on Lists > My Lists > My Saved Searches & Alerts; choose the saved search for which you wish to create an alert; then select an interval (once a week, once a month) from the drop-down menu. An email will be sent to you when new items appear in your search results.


hen select an interval (once a week, once a month) from the drop-down menu. An email will be sent to you when new items appear in your search results.Booklist: Booklist is a book-review magazine that has been published by the American Library Association for more than 100 years, and is widely viewed as offering the most reliable reviews to help libraries decide what to buy and to help library patrons and students decide what to read, view, or listen to. It comprises two print magazines, an extensive website and database, e-newsletters, webinars, and other resources that support librarians in collection development and readers' advisory.

Book Review Digest Plus: Reviews of fiction and nonfiction in the humanities, social sciences, general sciences, and popular topics published in English since 1983. Includes over 600,000 full-text book reviews and more than 2 million citations to reviews. Textbooks, government publications, and technical books in law and the sciences are not included. Book reviews may also be found in Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Project Muse, and most subject-specific databases.


d the sciences are not included. Book reviews may also be found in Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Project Muse, and most subject-specific databases.Book Review Index: A comprehensive online guide to book reviews that includes more than 5.6 million review citations from thousands of publications, with linking to more than 630,000 full-text reviews. Contains the entire back file of Book Review Index print content from 1965 to the present.

Chronicle of Higher Education: Browse for book reviews and Top Reads of each year.

H-Net: H-Net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences is an online scholarly review resource.

Kirkus Reviews: Also available via https://www.kirkusreviews.com/discover-books/

New York Review of Books: Full text of all New York Review of Books content from the first issue in 1963 to the present. Browse by year or issue or search across the archive by article title, author, book, contributor, or subject.

New York Times Book Review: Use Academic Pass for access.


issue or search across the archive by article title, author, book, contributor, or subject.

New York Times Book Review: Use Academic Pass for access.TLS: Times Literary Supplement Historical Archive, 1902-2019: An international publication with contributors from around the world covering literature and criticism, history, science, politics, and art.  Includes every issue of TLS from 1902 through 2019, which can be searched or browsed by book title, author, book editor, translator, or contributor (reviewer, essayist, or illustrator). Print issues of TLS from 1963 to 1974 and from 2020 to the present are shelved by title in the library’s periodical collection on the second floor of the library.


Independent Presses:
Small Press Distribution: Most books highlighted here are available to order via Coutts/Oasis


Awards in your field(s):
Is there an award for books in your field which would allow you to get lists of new materials which have been reviewed? Check scholarly societies or organizations, etc.? i.e. https://www.culturalstudiesassociation.org/the-first-book-prize.html


When doing collection development and checking if we have an ebook version of a title, you may wonder if we have perpetual or limited access to a text. Ebooks that we own will be available in perpetuity. This page helps outline how OneSearch tells you which books have been purchased. Onesearch gives clues about whether we own an ebook in the following ways: Within OneSearch, the name of the link in the "View Online" section of the record tells you whether an ebook has been permanently added to the collection: Duke University Press Ebooks : we own all of these books, but purchase them according to year. If you can't access a title, it may not yet be published. There is no restriction on concurrent users. Ebsco Ebooks " Ebsco Ebooks: Graduate Center Collection " means that we purchased this ebook, the Graduate Center has perpetual access (but there may be additional restrictions on concurrent users) Generally if an Ebsco ebook is in OneSearch for the GC, we own it.


has perpetual access (but there may be additional restrictions on concurrent users) Generally if an Ebsco ebook is in OneSearch for the GC, we own it.has perpetual access (but there may be additional restrictions on concurrent users) Generally if an Ebsco ebook is in OneSearch for the GC, we own it.has perpetual access (but there may be additional restrictions on concurrent users) Generally if an Ebsco ebook is in OneSearch for the GC, we own it.Ebook Central See details below JSTOR See more about the DDA and EBA Programs here . Ebooks added to the permanent collection: " JSTOR Books: Graduate Center Permanent Collection " means that this item is a purchased ebook, the Graduate Center has perpetual access and unlimited concurrent users for this title "JSTOR Path to Open" titles have been purchased and the Graduate Center has perpetual access and unlimited concurrent users for this title If a book is in multiple collections but includes either the "JSTOR Books: Graduate Center Permanent Collection," or "JSTOR Path to Open," it has been added permanently. Impermanent collections: " JSTOR EBA Collection " whether or not this item joins the permanent collection is based on use. If it is listed *only* as EBA, it may be removed from the collection at a later date. These titles are evaluated annually. " JSTOR Books: Graduate Center " means the ebook is currently active, but it might be part of the EBA program.


e. These titles are evaluated annually. " JSTOR Books: Graduate Center " means the ebook is currently active, but it might be part of the EBA program.e. These titles are evaluated annually. " JSTOR Books: Graduate Center " means the ebook is currently active, but it might be part of the EBA program.e. These titles are evaluated annually. " JSTOR Books: Graduate Center " means the ebook is currently active, but it might be part of the EBA program.If you see that a title is available via JSTOR but it does not appear in either of these collections, please contact Alycia and Melissa; there may be alternative means to acquire it. Project Muse Ebooks : If a Project Muse ebook is in Onesearch, we own it. There are no restrictions on concurrent users.


Permanent Ebook Acquisitions vs. Subscriptions and Rotating Collections:
Permanent Ebook Collections we own--titles will remain in perpetuity | Temporary Ebook Collections--possible that titles will not stay

De Gruyter ebooks: Graduate Center Collection | Ebook Central

Duke e-books | JSTOR EBA

Early English Books Online | JSTOR Books: Graduate Center

[Ebook Central: see below ] | Any ebook collections not listed to the left or above: are part of a subscription and not purchases and could possibly be cancelled

Ebsco Ebooks: Graduate Center Collection

JSTOR Ebooks: Graduate Center Permanent Collection

Loeb Classical Library

Project Muse Ebooks

SpringerLink Books - Graduate Center Collection (AH)

Taylor & Francis eBooks: Graduate Center Collection

Wiley Online Library - Graduate Center Books


Ebook Central Ebooks:
The only surefire way right now to confirm an Ebook Central ebook was purchased for the GC is that it is included in this OneSearch collection . *SOME* (there is a technical glitch that does not always show the Collection!) purchased ebooks can also be distinguished when you are viewing individual titles within Alma, but instead of finding details in the "View Online" section, you will know that an ebook has been purchased the "Ebook Central GC Purchased" collection appears in the record details:


Notes for requests for items other than Monographs:


Notes for requests for items other than Monographs:Notes for requests for items other than Monographs:Hi all, A liaison asked me today about how to respond to any requests at the moment about the possibility of adding new single journal subscription or databases. Here are a few notes that can be shared when you reply to inquiries like this: Over the past few years we have had a significant 5% cut to our budgets, and this cut is ongoing. This makes our ability to add any new resources particularly tricky. We are also now working toward only adding new databases and journals on an annual cycle with a transparent evaluation process via the Collections Committee. You can share this guide with patrons and/or work through this process with them: https://gc-cuny.libapps.com/libguides/admin_c.php?g=1400045 The transition to the CUNYBuy system has brought an already lengthy acquisition process to almost complete stand-still. No matter the cost, all new materials are undergoing many months in the acquisition process.


ngthy acquisition process to almost complete stand-still. No matter the cost, all new materials are undergoing many months in the acquisition process.ngthy acquisition process to almost complete stand-still. No matter the cost, all new materials are undergoing many months in the acquisition process.ngthy acquisition process to almost complete stand-still. No matter the cost, all new materials are undergoing many months in the acquisition process.You can let the requestor know about our budget cuts and uncertainties and also that we will track specific requests via the Collections Committee, and that they can use NYPL or ILL in the meantime. (Please do send requests and suggestions to Alycia!) We're working on some plans to make requesting a bit easier and more transparent, but those processes are still in development. For the time being, please reply to requestors directly and feel free to send information on about the requested materials to me for tracking. Thanks for your patience! Alycia


Our current policy is that we do not accept donations of books other than copies of GC central line faculty publications. We do not accept or process personal library collections or large donations. Here are a few sample emails for these kinds of requests: Sample message in response to a request to donate a personal library (for any inquiry, including folks outside of CUNY affilation): Dear —- Thank you so much for thinking of our library. Unfortunately, due to our library’s limitations, we are unable to accept donations of this kind at the moment. If you are looking for alternative ways to donate or sell books, we do have this blog post that collects a few New York City resources: https://gclibrary.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2023/09/19/redux-nyc-book-donation-centers/ [signature] Sample message for current GC affiliates where further conversation with a liaison librarian may be helpful: Dear —- Thank you so much for thinking of our library.


e for current GC affiliates where further conversation with a liaison librarian may be helpful: Dear —- Thank you so much for thinking of our library.e for current GC affiliates where further conversation with a liaison librarian may be helpful: Dear —- Thank you so much for thinking of our library.e for current GC affiliates where further conversation with a liaison librarian may be helpful: Dear —- Thank you so much for thinking of our library.Unfortunately, due to our library’s limitations, we are unable to accept donations of this kind at the moment. We are able to accept copies of work by GC faculty by donation but we are unable to process personal library collections. If you are looking for alternative ways to donate or sell books, we do have this blog post that collects a few New York City resources: https://gclibrary.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2023/09/19/redux-nyc-book-donation-centers/ If you would like to chat further about our collections and their relationship to your program, you might consider getting in touch with the librarian who works with your department. I am cc’ing them here [REMEMBER TO ADD THEM AND/INTRODUCE THEM] [signature]


Email Template: Yes, we'll order that book:
Sample email language: Thank you so much for the suggestion. We will order the title for the collection, but it will take some time for the book to be shipped, cataloged and processed. I suggest that if you need a copy in the next few weeks that you explore Interlibrary Loan to request a section (usually delivered quickly as a PDF), a physical copy.


Notes about ebooks:
If folks have questions about why we do not always have an ebook, or may not be able to add it: Not all books are available in ebook form. Even if it is available via Amazon, there may not be a version of that same book available for purchase by libraries. Many ebook publishers still do not allow ILL Some of our state funding requires that we are able to allow ILL for purchased books, so these items have to be bought in print. Digital rights restrictions also make ebook purchases difficult to consider for long term stability of our purchases and ethical state spending Most ebooks are 3-4 times the price of print for the same publication (and in addition to being more costly, they may also come with restricted access)


Other templates?:
Are there other collections emails you struggle to write? Let me know and I am happy to help. --Alycia


Reserves:
See the Reserves libguide for full up to date details on reserves. A few notes: Faculty MUST fill out the Reserve Request Form as the first step for any form of reserve request. There is no alternative to the form; please do not send requests via email (sorry!) This form is shared between Circulation and Acquisitions and represents the first step in the shared workflow to identifying items, adding what we already own to a course list, and making purchases where needed. Reserve items purchased by the library do not come out of liaison monograph budgets; there are separate funds for reserve items.


Monograph Request Data:
CLICs Requests ILL Requests ALMA analytics


Proposals for significant electronic resource subscriptions:
See this full guide for more information on the new proposal process.


Graduate Center Evidence Based Acquisition Programs:

Annual EBA Programs for Liaison Evaluation


Graduate Center Evidence Based Acquisition Programs:Graduate Center Evidence Based Acquisition Programs:We have a few EBA (Evidence Based Acquisiton) programs at the Graduate Center Library. These programs provide us with a large and changing corpus of items throughout the course of a year, and at the end of the year we choose a subset to own permanently. These are the programs with their annual deadlines. Liaisons are responsible to review and provide suggestions for materials to retain permanently.


y. These are the programs with their annual deadlines. Liaisons are responsible to review and provide suggestions for materials to retain permanently.y. These are the programs with their annual deadlines. Liaisons are responsible to review and provide suggestions for materials to retain permanently.y. These are the programs with their annual deadlines. Liaisons are responsible to review and provide suggestions for materials to retain permanently.AVON streaming films (OLS license) Alexander Street's Academic Video Online collection There are two elements of this collection: A shifting large collection of subscribed streaming films All available titles in changing collection are managed in Alma by OLS The GC permanently owned streaming films On the A-Z list description for AVON if you click "additional info" you can see the list of films the GC has purchased All titles owned by the GC are included in a locally managed electronic collection in Alma and in OneSearch have the label " Academic Video Online: Graduate Center Owned " in the "View Online" section of the record: The GC (and each other CUNY library) chooses 10 titles per year to own perpetually from the AVON "Build by Choice" collection Ask Alycia if you would like a copy of the latest list of titles to choose from Deadline for decisions: December of each year. Usage information was shared in September in 2024.


e a copy of the latest list of titles to choose from Deadline for decisions: December of each year. Usage information was shared in September in 2024.e a copy of the latest list of titles to choose from Deadline for decisions: December of each year. Usage information was shared in September in 2024.e a copy of the latest list of titles to choose from Deadline for decisions: December of each year. Usage information was shared in September in 2024.Docuseek (managed by GC library) We will choose 10 streaming films to retain permanently If there are films before the deadline you know we would like to retain, email Alycia Deadline for decisions: September/October of each year JSTOR EBA program (managed by GC library) JSTOR's description of the EBA program This program gives us access to a collection of books (different from the DDA) for one year. At the end of the year, we are given usage statistics and spend the funds we have deposited on books we select from the collection. Deadline for decisions: May of each year. Usage information usually shared in May. Former/Discontinued EBA Programs For one year we participated in the Project Muse Ebooks EBA. The purchased ebooks have been added to Alma. Alternate access to this collection is available via NYPL.


How to check for Cancelled OASIS Orders:
OASIS and Coutts do not communicate if a book order is not able to be fulfilled and is cancelled. You can search for items that you ordered and were cancelled by hand--choose "cancelled" and de-select "open" and "fulfilled":


We participate in the JSTOR EBA and DDA ebook acquisition programs. Here is an outline of how those programs function and our local decisions: JSTOR DDA JSTOR's description of the DDA program These ebooks are triggered for purchase automatically based on usage. New triggers for purchases beginning in January 2025 (prior to 2025 the trigger was seven total item requests for all titles, but there were more embargoed new books): Frontlist titles (published in the last three copyright years): purchases trigger at FOUR item requests Backlist titles (copyrights four years old or older): purchases trigger at EIGHT item requests An item request is a download or view of an item Additionally the GC's threshold excludes automatic purchase of any ebook over $250. We can still purchase these titles upon request but they are not automatically purchased.


hreshold excludes automatic purchase of any ebook over $250. We can still purchase these titles upon request but they are not automatically purchased.hreshold excludes automatic purchase of any ebook over $250. We can still purchase these titles upon request but they are not automatically purchased.hreshold excludes automatic purchase of any ebook over $250. We can still purchase these titles upon request but they are not automatically purchased.We only have access to these ebooks when we have funds in our account The whole of this collection is NOT active in OneSearch, only natively when inside JSTOR. When a title is purchased, it gets added to Alma. JSTOR EBA JSTOR's description of the EBA program This program gives us access to a collection of books (different from the DDA) for one year. At the end of the year, we are given usage statistics and spend the funds we have deposited on books we select from the collection. All JSTOR EBA titles are active in OneSearch, and those we have purchased are added to our permanent collection. If you see an ebook that is in both the EBA and "Graduate Center Permanent Collection," it has been purchased.


EBA Examples:
This book is in the EBA collection but has not yet been added to our permanent collection: This book is in the EBA collection and it has also been added to our permanent collection ("JSTOR Books: Graduate Center Permanent Collection"):


About this Guide:
This guide is here to help you with your archival research.  It contains information on archives and archival repositories, collection finding aids, conducting background research, and finding both analog and digitized collections.  It includes links to resources, research tips, and tools for working with the sources you find.  Please send any comments or suggestions to library@gc.cuny.edu.


CUNY Graduate Center Archives and Special Collections:
The CUNY Graduate Center Archives and Special Collections , which is part of the Mina Rees Library, seeks to collect, organize, preserve, and make accessible materials documenting the history of the Graduate Center and its constituents, along with unique collections that support the research and educational mission of the University. Please see the comprehensive guide to the CUNY Graduate Center Archives and Special Collections to learn about the scope and contents of the collections, to browse and search finding aids, and to find practical information for visiting and using the archives.


Getting Help:
There are many ways to get help from a librarian — choose the method that best suits your needs: In Person: Visit the reference desk (2nd floor of library) during reference hours . By Chat: Chat with an academic librarian 24/7 . If available, a CUNY librarian will answer your chat. By Email: Complete the question submission form and receive a reply by email during reference hours . By Phone: Call the reference desk at (212) 817-7077 during reference hours . By Appointment: Schedule a one-on-one research consultation by contacting your subject librarian .


Archives Defined:
The New York Public Library defines archives as "the records created by people and organizations as they lived and worked." Archives usually consist of unpublished materials that accumulate organically over the course of time that were preserved for the enduring value of the information they contain, for their value as artifacts, or as evidence of the work or activities of the creator.  But they can contain just about anything that was created or saved by a person or organization. Materials are kept in their original order whenever possible, grouped into collections according to their source, and described in finding aids or collection records.


Materials relating to particular individuals, organizations, events and subjects will likely be scattered across multiple collections in various repositories.  And those sources, even taken together, will form an incomplete record since they will only consist of the materials that were saved and that have lasted.  Most of the records generated as people live and work aren’t saved at all.  So when you are looking for sources, remember that the historical record is likely incomplete.  Think about what might be missing.  And think creatively about where to find materials to answer your research questions. It can be very helpful to think in terms of collections of sources, such as personal papers or organizational records, or collections of oral histories, maps, photographs, texts, historical periodicals, audio recordings, directories, government documents, etc.  Look for haystacks rather than needles in haystacks.


graphs, texts, historical periodicals, audio recordings, directories, government documents, etc.  Look for haystacks rather than needles in haystacks.graphs, texts, historical periodicals, audio recordings, directories, government documents, etc.  Look for haystacks rather than needles in haystacks.graphs, texts, historical periodicals, audio recordings, directories, government documents, etc.  Look for haystacks rather than needles in haystacks.And think in terms of repositories.  The holdings of individual libraries and archives, when taken together, constitute unique cohesive resources.  When an archive holds a collection of photographs on a topic, for instance, chances are good that they will also hold manuscripts, books, periodicals, reference sources, and other materials related to those photographs.  So be certain to search at the repository level for other materials when you find yourself exploring an archival collection held there. Archival research can be simultaneously inspiring and tedious, enlightening and challenging, productive and time consuming.  More often than not, though, it is well worth the effort. For practical advice and a realistic description of what archival research is like, see Chapter 9, " Archival Research ," in Zachary M . Schrag's The Princeton Guide to Historical Research .


Glossary of Archival Terms:


Glossary of Archival Terms:Glossary of Archival Terms:Following are definitions of some common archival terms.  For a comprehensive list, see the Dictionary of Archives Terminology , a handy online reference source from the Society of American Archivists. Archival Collection - A broad term encompassing both personal papers and organizational records collections. Archives - Records in any format created by or received and maintained by an organization that are determined to have permanent value. When housed in repositories outside the institution that created them, the collections are often called Organizational Records. Artificial Collections - Collections of items assembled by an individual or institution from a variety of sources, usually on a topic or event (the sinking of the Titanic or the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (maps, menus, matchbook covers, postcards, product advertising, e.g.).


r the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (maps, menus, matchbook covers, postcards, product advertising, e.g.).r the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (maps, menus, matchbook covers, postcards, product advertising, e.g.).r the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (maps, menus, matchbook covers, postcards, product advertising, e.g.).Examples include: The Radio Scripts Collection (NYPL Schomburg) and The World War I Collection (N-YHS). Institutional or Corporate Archive - A repository that holds records created by or received by its parent institution. The BAM Hamm Archives and the Carnegie Hall Archives are institutional repositories. The archives of some organizations, especially commercial enterprises, exist solely to serve internal needs and outside researchers may have limited or no access to the records. Manuscript Repository - An institution that collects historically valuable records of individuals, families, and organizations. The New-York Historical Society Library and The Manuscripts and Archives Division of the New York Public Library are manuscript repositories. Original Order is the arrangement of materials established by the creator of the records.


of the New York Public Library are manuscript repositories. Original Order is the arrangement of materials established by the creator of the records. of the New York Public Library are manuscript repositories. Original Order is the arrangement of materials established by the creator of the records. of the New York Public Library are manuscript repositories. Original Order is the arrangement of materials established by the creator of the records.Archivists maintain original order whenever possible because the arrangement can shed light on how an individual or organization functioned and can also simplify access to the materials. When there is no discernible order, archivists sort the materials into series such as correspondence, writings, photographs, clippings, etc., in order to facilitate research and access. Personal Papers or Manuscripts - Collections of materials in any format created by or received and maintained by an individual or family in the course of daily life. Examples include: the Harry Belafonte Papers (NYPL), the Audre Lord Papers (Spelman College), and the Shirley Hayes Papers (N-YHS). Primary Sources & Secondary Sources - Materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation are considered primary sources. They can be published or unpublished items in any format, from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment.


considered primary sources. They can be published or unpublished items in any format, from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment. considered primary sources. They can be published or unpublished items in any format, from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment. considered primary sources. They can be published or unpublished items in any format, from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment.Secondary sources are works that analyze and interpret other sources. They use primary sources to solve research problems. The way you engage with a source determines whether it is a primary or secondary source for your project. Book reviews, for example, are typically considered secondary sources.  If the subject of your research is book reviews themselves, however, they would be primary sources for your project. Provenance - A fundamental archival principle (also called respect des fonds ) that requires that materials be grouped into collections according to their source, not according to their subject. ( Sources: The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, c2008; Introduction to Archival Terminology , NARA; Theodore R. Schellenberg, Principles of Arrangement, Staff Information Paper Number 18 , Published by the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, 1951. )


Elements of Finding Aids:


Elements of Finding Aids:Elements of Finding Aids:Finding Aids are detailed guides to the contents and arrangement of collections.  Finding aids, which may also be called collection guides, are written to give repositories intellectual and physical control over their holdings and to help researchers find what they are looking for within collections.  Finding aids can take many forms, whether digital or analog, and range in detail from a brief summary to an itemized list of contents, but most finding aids will fall somewhere in between. The level of detail and description depend on the resources of the repository and the collection itself.  Most comprehensive electronic finding aids will contain the following elements: Collection Overview / Descriptive Summary – The basic bibliographical details you would find in a library catalog record, including the repository, creator, title, date, abstract describing the subject matter of the material, quantity of materials, and call phrase (the "call number" assigned by the repository).


, date, abstract describing the subject matter of the material, quantity of materials, and call phrase (the "call number" assigned by the repository)., date, abstract describing the subject matter of the material, quantity of materials, and call phrase (the "call number" assigned by the repository)., date, abstract describing the subject matter of the material, quantity of materials, and call phrase (the "call number" assigned by the repository).Biographical / Historical Note – Information on the creator of the collection, including significant historical details that provide context for the archival materials. Scope and Content Note – A brief description of what’s contained in the collection, including the types of materials and the subject focus of the collection, with highlights sometimes mentioned. Arrangement / Organization – A list of the series into which the collection is organized, or a brief description of the organization of the materials, i.e., “arranged by type of material, then chronologically.” Access Points / Subjects / Key Terms – The subject headings, including names, organizations, topics, places, document types, family names, occupations, and other terms, under which the collection is indexed. Administrative Information – Provenance of the collection, access and use restrictions, copyright notices, preferred citation, related materials in the repository.


e Information – Provenance of the collection, access and use restrictions, copyright notices, preferred citation, related materials in the repository.e Information – Provenance of the collection, access and use restrictions, copyright notices, preferred citation, related materials in the repository.e Information – Provenance of the collection, access and use restrictions, copyright notices, preferred citation, related materials in the repository.Container List / Inventory – A list of boxes, folders, and volumes in the collection. You’ll need to know the box and folder numbers to request materials at the repository. Finding aids may also include: Series descriptions, a list of items separated from the collection, and notes on related collections in the repository.


Tips for Using Finding Aids:


Tips for Using Finding Aids:Tips for Using Finding Aids:Collections may be described in catalog records, website descriptions, NUCMC records, published collection guides, paper guides available in the repository, and/or Wikipedia entries in addition to or instead of traditional finding aids. Not all collections will have detailed finding aids, but when they do, spend time reading them thoroughly before diving in to a collection. A close look at a finding aid will tell you not only what is IN a collection, but what is NOT there, saving you time. Many manuscript and archival repositories have online catalogs or databases that allow searching across collection finding aids. Look for these and search them for sources on your topic.


ories have online catalogs or databases that allow searching across collection finding aids. Look for these and search them for sources on your topic.ories have online catalogs or databases that allow searching across collection finding aids. Look for these and search them for sources on your topic.ories have online catalogs or databases that allow searching across collection finding aids. Look for these and search them for sources on your topic.Access may be uneven within a library, with some collections being fully processed and described in electronic finding aids complete with links to digitized images, audio, or video from the collection, while other collections next to them on the shelf may be described only in paper finding aids.  Collection descriptions are continually evolving as resources permit. When viewing electronic finding aids, look for the "print view" or a link to "view as a single page" so you can do keyword searching within the document. Archivists research the subjects of the collections they process and frequently write detailed historical and biographical notes that contextualize the materials. You can learn a great deal by reading a comprehensive finding aid. A container list in a finding aid will tell you the type of material you’ll find in a box or folder, but it usually won’t give you the specific details of the items in that container.


will tell you the type of material you’ll find in a box or folder, but it usually won’t give you the specific details of the items in that container. will tell you the type of material you’ll find in a box or folder, but it usually won’t give you the specific details of the items in that container. will tell you the type of material you’ll find in a box or folder, but it usually won’t give you the specific details of the items in that container.A typical folder title might be “Correspondence, 1911-1914.”  When this is the case, the only way to find out who is writing to whom and what is being said is to request the box and open the folder to read the letters yourself. Not all collections have finding aids and not all finding aids are online. Visit a repository’s website to get an overview of the archival holdings and then contact the staff to find out if they might hold materials relevant to your topic.


tory’s website to get an overview of the archival holdings and then contact the staff to find out if they might hold materials relevant to your topic.tory’s website to get an overview of the archival holdings and then contact the staff to find out if they might hold materials relevant to your topic.tory’s website to get an overview of the archival holdings and then contact the staff to find out if they might hold materials relevant to your topic.As a way of dealing with backlogs of unprocessed collections, many archival repositories follow an arrangement and description methodology called MPLP, or " More Product, Less Process ," especially for large contemporary collections.  This trend in processing means that archivists spend less time arranging and describing materials in order to provide access to more materials sooner.  For researchers, this means they may have to spend more time looking through boxes of materials because collections may only be described in broad strokes in finding aids that mention just the most obvious contents and contain little research and scholarship.


ctions may only be described in broad strokes in finding aids that mention just the most obvious contents and contain little research and scholarship.ctions may only be described in broad strokes in finding aids that mention just the most obvious contents and contain little research and scholarship.ctions may only be described in broad strokes in finding aids that mention just the most obvious contents and contain little research and scholarship.You will likely come across broken links to electronic finding aids in your research using databases, websites, WorldCat, or other search tools.  When this happens, use what you know in a Google search to find the collection guide another way.  A search using the repository name and part of the collection creator's name will usually help you find a working link.  If that fails, go directly to the repository's website and either browse their list of collections or search across their site for the collection you are seeking.


Background research paves the way for productive archival research.  Use it to get an overview of your topic, to zero in on the details you need to find primary sources, to put archival materials in context, and to help you position your own argument within the scholarly conversation. Following are some suggestions and tips for finding background sources. ONESEARCH: A search in CUNY's OneSearch using keywords and subject terms central to your topic will turn up print and electronic books, scholarly articles, news articles, films, dissertations, government documents, and other primary, secondary, and reference sources.  After a broad initial search, you can sort the results by date, relevance, author or title, and filter results by resource type, topic/subject, date range, language, or source/collection (database).


esults by date, relevance, author or title, and filter results by resource type, topic/subject, date range, language, or source/collection (database).esults by date, relevance, author or title, and filter results by resource type, topic/subject, date range, language, or source/collection (database).esults by date, relevance, author or title, and filter results by resource type, topic/subject, date range, language, or source/collection (database).GC DATABASES: Our A-Z List of Databases includes over 400 resources.  You can search for particular databases by title, filter databases by type, or search across the list by keyword to find databases that cover your topic. RESEARCH GUIDES: Library research guides round up the major print and electronic resources in a given area and can quickly point you to reliable sources.  The GC's research guides cover a wide range of subjects and topics, from Anthropology to data management.  Use them to find reference sources and scholarly articles, and to identify the key databases in a subject area.  If we don't have a research guide for a topic you are studying, try a web search to find one at another library.  For example, if you wanted to find reliable sources on the history of South Asia and didn't know where to begin, a Google search formatted like this could help: "South Asia" LibGuides .


reliable sources on the history of South Asia and didn't know where to begin, a Google search formatted like this could help: "South Asia" LibGuides .reliable sources on the history of South Asia and didn't know where to begin, a Google search formatted like this could help: "South Asia" LibGuides .reliable sources on the history of South Asia and didn't know where to begin, a Google search formatted like this could help: "South Asia" LibGuides .(The term "LibGuides" refers to the platform many libraries use to publish research guides.)  One example of an excellent guide to primary and secondary sources from another institution is this U.S. History guide from the University of Washington . Browse guides from other libraries to identify potential research avenues and to use the open access resources identified there.  But look for subscription resources here at the GC Library .  If we don't have something you need, you can usually request it via Interlibrary Loan . SECONDARY & REFERENCE SOURCES: Consult our Beyond Wikipedia: Background and Reference Sources guide for information on finding and using a wide range of secondary and reference sources in your research.  You'll find tips for finding biographical and genealogical sources, bibliographies, digitized texts, encyclopedias, book reviews, almanacs, and more.


You'll find tips for finding biographical and genealogical sources, bibliographies, digitized texts, encyclopedias, book reviews, almanacs, and more. You'll find tips for finding biographical and genealogical sources, bibliographies, digitized texts, encyclopedias, book reviews, almanacs, and more. You'll find tips for finding biographical and genealogical sources, bibliographies, digitized texts, encyclopedias, book reviews, almanacs, and more.GOOGLE SCHOLAR: Google Scholar provides a simple way to search broadly for scholarly literature, including journal articles and books. The GC Library has created a GC-customized Google Scholar version that links you directly to articles in the library’s databases. When off campus, you’ll be prompted to log in before you can access library subscription resources. WORLDCAT: WorldCat Is a catalog and discovery system containing millions of records for print and electronic holdings in every format in thousands of libraries around the world. As with OneSearch, after a broad initial search you can use the available options to zero in on sources close to your topic. Use the links in WorldCat records to request items via Interlibrary Loan if they are not available at the GC. DISSERTATIONS: Look for dissertations on your topic.  Dissertations contain original research and can lead you to difficult-to-find primary sources that their authors have tracked down.


ns on your topic.  Dissertations contain original research and can lead you to difficult-to-find primary sources that their authors have tracked down.ns on your topic.  Dissertations contain original research and can lead you to difficult-to-find primary sources that their authors have tracked down.ns on your topic.  Dissertations contain original research and can lead you to difficult-to-find primary sources that their authors have tracked down.And their bibliographies may help you identify useful scholarship and background sources as well. GOOGLE BOOKS: Try searching Google Books to find mentions of people, places, organizations, and events.  A search here is especially useful for gathering information on hard-to-find people. Your efforts may turn up details in a footnote or the text of a book that lead you to sources you may not have found otherwise.  Check OneSearch to find specific titles at the GC Library and request them via Interlibrary Loan if we don't have them.