[Eril-l] [EXTERNAL] Re: Counter Searches vs. Unique Item Investigations

[Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list]

Hi Erika and all,

>From what I understand it isn't an item request inaccuracy — it's one of
the main differences between COUNTER 5 and 5.1. I attended several webinars
when COUNTER announced the changes and they were hoping the update in how
item requests were counted would bring book item requests more in alignment
with journal item requests (a unique item request for a journal counts if
only one article is downloaded so this new 5.1 rule means that book
chapters and journal articles are counted the same in the unique item
report).

Please anyone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that what Chris
is noticing is a feature not a bug, at least from COUNTER's perspective.

Thanks,
Rebecca Michelson-Ziegler
(she/her)
Electronic Resources Specialist
Swarthmore College
McCabe Library
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081
(610) 328-8443
rmichel1 at swarthmore.edu


On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 1:57 PM Electronic Resources in Libraries
discussion list via Eril-l <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Chris — just out of curiosity how the unique item request inaccuracies
> were discovered? I've never heard of that and I don't think I've seen the
> COUNTER folks share anything about it, and I didn't know if they've
> addressed this directly themselves and I've just missed it, haha.
>
> Thanks!
> Erika
>
> On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 12:03 PM Electronic Resources in Libraries
> discussion list via Eril-l <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org> wrote:
>
>> [*Caution*: Email from External Sender. Do not click or open links or
>> attachments unless you know this sender.]
>>
>> I just learned from a presentation at the Acquisitions Institute
>> <https://acquisitionsinstitute.org/> this past week that Counter 5.1
>> apparently reports unique title requests accurately, but not unique item
>> requests. Unique Item requests count all items of a title as used even if
>> only one was used (i.e. all book chapters record usage when only one book
>> chapter was actually accessed). Perhaps that is what is happening.
>>
>> I do not yet know specifics for all of the reports, but had planned to
>> explore it.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> _______________________
>> Christine W. Blackman (Chris)
>> Head of Collections and Systems
>> Williams Libraries <https://library.williams.edu/>
>> (413) 597-4403
>> pronouns: she/her
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 9:41 AM Electronic Resources in Libraries
>> discussion list via Eril-l <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org> wrote:
>>
>>> I understand the distinctions between searches, total item requests, and
>>> unique item investigations.  What I’m wondering about is why a database
>>> would have a large number of searches (over 1,000) yet only have small,
>>> double digit unique item investigations and/or total item requests.  Is
>>> there some explanation for this significant variance?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Mark
>>>
>>> —
>>>
>>> Mark Gooch
>>>
>>> Collection Management Librarian
>>>
>>> The College of Wooster Libraries
>>>
>>> 1140 Beall Ave.
>>>
>>> Wooster, Ohio 44691
>>>
>>> Phone: 330-263-2522
>>>
>>> FAX: 330-263-2253
>>>
>>> mgooch at wooster.edu
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