Driving the last nails into the print coffin: improved course support through reserve promotion

How can a veterinary library take a lead role in educating students on materials which support their course learning and simplifying access to these items while minimizing the cost to students? A use assessment of materials used in courses was also needed to provide evidence of impact and insure that appropriate formats were chosen to maximize student satisfaction and learning.

A list of all the required, recommended, or reserve materials listed in syllabi for all the courses in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program were gathered by the Office of Student Affairs and shared with Library staff. During the fall 2014 semester, 21 difference courses listed information resources in their syllabi; in the spring 2015, 26 did. Web pages containing Google analytic code were constructed for each semester by program year, and all these materials were listed for quick reference for students. Hyperlinks were inserted into all html citations to allow quick retrieval from the print collection, or quick access to the e-version. Several book chapters or sections were scanned and placed into e-reserves as needed when the publisher was not offering an electronic version for sale to libraries.

A total of 47 classes referenced informational resources, while additional 29 courses did not. These materials totaled 246 titles, although multiple formats and editions were listed on the course readings web pages. Circulation and use data revealed 435 uses of print materials, while ebook views were 15,963; over 36 times higher. E-reserves accounted for 320 uses. Percentage wise, this indicated a very strong preference for e-access, as 97.4% of materials accessed by students were electronic . [Web page views of course pages are still being tabulated due to a recent platform migration]