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

[Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list]

Hi all,

Thanks Rebecca! I knew there were changes regarding the metrics (from
webinars and such) - I think I just misinterpreted or misunderstood Chris'
response. It sounded as if there was something wrong with the counts being
produced with item requests, and I thought I missed something 😆

Thanks all!

On Fri, May 22, 2026, 3:09 PM Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion
list via Eril-l <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org> wrote:

> 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
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/500+College+Avenue+Swarthmore,+PA+19081?entry=gmail&source=g>
> Swarthmore, PA 19081
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/500+College+Avenue+Swarthmore,+PA+19081?entry=gmail&source=g>
> (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.
>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1140+Beall+Ave.+%0D%0A+Wooster,+Ohio+44691?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>
>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1140+Beall+Ave.+%0D%0A+Wooster,+Ohio+44691?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>
>>>> Wooster, Ohio 44691
>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1140+Beall+Ave.+%0D%0A+Wooster,+Ohio+44691?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>
>>>> Phone: 330-263-2522
>>>>
>>>> FAX: 330-263-2253
>>>>
>>>> mgooch at wooster.edu
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Eril-l mailing list
>>>> Eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
>>>> http://lists.eril-l.org/listinfo.cgi/eril-l-eril-l.org
>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Eril-l mailing list
>>> Eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
>>> http://lists.eril-l.org/listinfo.cgi/eril-l-eril-l.org
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Eril-l mailing list
>> Eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
>> http://lists.eril-l.org/listinfo.cgi/eril-l-eril-l.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Eril-l mailing list
> Eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
> http://lists.eril-l.org/listinfo.cgi/eril-l-eril-l.org
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.eril-l.org/pipermail/eril-l-eril-l.org/attachments/20260522/254ab7b4/attachment.htm>