Related Experiment Videos
MODERATELY AND HEAVILY USED BIOMEDICAL JOURNALS.
Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
|January 1, 1964
Summary
A study of medical journal usage at Columbia and Yale found that a core of 262 journals met 80% of demand. This research identifies essential current journals for medical libraries.
Area of Science:
- Library and Information Science
- Medical Librarianship
- Bibliometrics
Background:
- Medical libraries face challenges in curating comprehensive journal collections.
- Assessing journal usage is crucial for efficient resource allocation and collection development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a core list of frequently used medical journals.
- To determine which journals satisfy a significant portion of user demand at major medical libraries.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of canceled charge slips for journal issues from 1959 to mid-1962.
- Examination of circulation data from Columbia and Yale Medical Libraries.
Main Results:
- A core of 262 journal titles provided 80% of the recorded usage.
- Sixty-seven journals accounted for over 50% of the demand.
- Columbia and Yale Medical Libraries received nearly 2,000 and over 1,500 journals, respectively.
Conclusions:
- A small percentage of journal titles fulfill the majority of user needs.
- The findings can inform collection development and resource sharing strategies in medical libraries.