Successful Web Survey Methodologies for Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services (MINES for Libraries)

MINES for Libraries is a web-based survey methodology that is proving to be a valid and reliable method for assessing networked electronic resources usage. The methodology has collected usage data on the libraries’ electronic resources, including electronic journals, electronic books, databases, the online catalog, and services such as interlibrary loan. It can also integrate data on non-subscription resources such as digital collections, open access journals, pre-print and post-print servers, and institutional repositories. This web survey method is more successful in libraries that have implemented a network assessment infrastructure. To illustrate its utility, an overview of the methodology, a discussion of assessment infrastructures, and recent results from MINES for Libraries surveys at more than 30 North American universities during the last 2 years are presented, including health sciences libraries, main academic libraries, and a Canadian library consortium of colleges and universities.