<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Helvetica;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Mark, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Does the platform offer the option to cross search several databases on their platform?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">e.g. My library provides links to all database search options for EBSCO as well as Proquest. When a patron uses an all database search, every single database included in the all database search will register
the search(es) conducted in the all database cross-search. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">This will inflate individual database search counts. You might want to check the DR or DR_D1 search reports to see how many of your databases on the same platform have very similar search counts due to all database
searches performed on the vendor’s platform. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">This is why I don’t rely on database search counts but use either item investigation or item request counts for db evaluations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Hope this helps. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Andrea<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:7.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">ANDREA IMRE<br>
Electronic Resources and Interim Collections Librarian<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:7.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#6C0633;background:white">MORRIS LIBRARY</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#6C0633;background:white">MAIL CODE 6632</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#6C0633;background:white">SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#6C0633;background:white">605 AGRICULTURE DR<br>
CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS 62901<br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">aimre@siu.edu<br>
P: 618.453.4339</span></b><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#6C0633;background:white"><br>
<br>
</span></b><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Eril-l <eril-l-bounces@lists.eril-l.org> <b>On Behalf Of
</b>Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list via Eril-l<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, May 22, 2026 8:28 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list via Eril-l <eril-l@lists.eril-l.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Eril-l] Counter Searches vs. Unique Item Investigations<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:red;background:white">[EXTERNAL EMAIL ALERT]:
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:red;background:white">Verify sender before opening links or attachments.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">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?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Mark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ms-outlook-mobile-signature">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">— <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black">Mark Gooch</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black">Collection Management Librarian</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black">The College of Wooster Libraries</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black">1140 Beall Ave.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black">Wooster, Ohio 44691</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black">Phone: 330-263-2522</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black">FAX: 330-263-2253</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:mgooch@wooster.edu">mgooch@wooster.edu</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>