Statistics usage by French academic libraries: a survey

The article presents a survey on usage statistics management in academic libraries in France. The objective is to provide empirical evidence on real methods and processes, best practices and problems experienced by librarians. The survey adapted the Baker & Read (2008) methodology to the French context. One third of the French academic libraries answered to the survey. Results show that usage statistics are crucial for the librarians’ daily work. COUNTER reports are mostly used, specifically the JR1 format. Two thirds of the libraries enhance the usage statistics with other data. Librarians face three major difficulties: missing time, lack of usage data produced by French vendors, and need for customized tools. The article contains a short literature review and ends with recommendations for further studies. Its originality is that it is the first published survey on usage data management in France and that it allows for comparison with results from other countries. Introduction The digital revolution has taken place. Processing e-resources became part of everyday life in academic libraries. Today, library management includes monitoring, assessment of usage, performance measurement. Stakeholders ask for reporting and return on