Statewide Use of All BadgerLink Resources
BadgerLink is a collection of over 60 unique databases and other resources. The total use of all BadgerLink resources between 2019 and 2024 is shown in the following chart. As vendors and resources have changed over the years, the dates of inclusion are noted.
Additional details for the statewide use of all BadgerLink resources, as well as a breakdown for Britannica Education and EBSCO are available in the Statewide Use of All BadgerLink Resources 2019-2024 report.
Figure 1: Statewide Use of All BadgerLink Resources between 2019 - 2024
Highlights
- Traditionally, EBSCO accounted for the majority of overall use, however the distribution among the top three vendors; Britannica, EBSCO, and TeachingBooks; is starting to equalize.
- In 2019, Britannica accounted for 25% of use, EBSCO for 55%, and TeachingBooks for 10%.
- Whereas in 2024, Britannica accounted for 23% of use, EBSCO for 37%, and TeachingBooks for 30%.
- Newspaper use (Access NewspaperARCHIVE, Archive of WI Newspapers, Newspapers.com, and U.S. Newsstream) has stayed relatively steady around 7% of overall use each year.
Data Collection
Each BadgerLink vendor supplies usage data, an important component of evaluation alongside qualitative data, such as the BadgerLink Stories and input from the BadgerLink Advisory Group, formal needs assessment studies, and overall budget considerations.
Reports
Some vendors supply reports following the COUNTER Code of Practice, meaning usage metrics are standardized and may be more easily comparable. Other vendors supply data with different formats and metrics.
Included in the table are the reports and specific metrics used to determine overall statewide usage for the current calendar year. Previous calendar years may have included different vendors and resources. Additional metrics and reports are also used to enhance analysis.
| Vendor | Report | Usage Metric for Statewide Reporting | Is Library-Level Reporting Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britannica Education (+Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary) | User Defined Report | Documents & Media | Yes |
| EBSCO | Database Master Report (COUNTER 5.1) | Total Item Investigations | Yes |
| Gale: ChiltonLibrary | Consortia Detail Report | Retrievals | No |
| ProQuest: HeritageQuest | Database Report 1 (COUNTER 2) | Searches | No |
| ProQuest: Newspapers.com | Database Report 1 (COUNTER 4) | Result Clicks | No |
| ProQuest: U.S. Newsstream | Database Master Report (COUNTER 5.1) | Total Item Investigations | Yes |
| TeachingBooks | Custom Report (aligned to COUNTER) | Total (Item) Investigations | Yes |
| Wisconsin Newspaper Association: Archive of WI Newspapers | Google Analytics | Page Views | No |
Data Definitions
Included in the table are definitions for metrics used in statewide reporting as previously noted.
| Usage Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| Documents & Media | Total views of all text-based and multimedia content. Also includes views of the Britannica multi-level homepage, which does not contain any content. Repeated views of the same content in a single session is not deduplicated (removed). |
| Total Item Investigations | Total number of times a content item (full-text articles, book chapters, multimedia files) or information related to a content item (metadata record/abstract, preview, link to link resolver) was accessed. |
| Retrievals | Total views of an article (repair procedure, wiring diagram, technical bulletin, labor time). |
| Searches | Total number of searches performed. |
| Result Clicks | The number of times a user clicks on a search result to access the detailed record or abstract. This metric is equivalent to Total Item Investigations in the most recent release 5.1. |
| Page Views | Total count of when a webpage is loaded, or the browser history state is changed. Statewide reporting only includes content (newspaper) page views, not views of the the resource homepage. |
Library-Level Report Options
Some vendors are able to supply library-level reporting, as noted in the Vendor Reports, Usage Metrics, and Availability of Library Level Reports table. Libraries will not automatically receive usage reports; they must be requested through the Bureau of Libraries/BadgerLink, or obtained directly if your library already has access to the vendors' administration sites.
Considerations and tips:
- Determine who at your library or school (or school district) should be the contact for receiving usage reports. If there are multiple people responsible, coordinate and plan ahead for a central location to save and share any reports.
- If your library or school has a general email address (i.e. library@mydistrict.k12.wi.us), consider using it in addition to any personal email addresses. This ensures any automated scheduled reports are accessible even if staff change.
- The availability of usage reports is based on your library's current account status with each vendor.
How to obtain your library's usage reports
- The first step in obtaining your library's usage reports is sending your current external/public IP address(es). Note: your library may not have a unique external/public IP address. For example, some public libraries or schools share an IP address across multiple locations or throughout the school district. Your institution's IT department will have this information.
- Bureau of Libraries/BadgerLink staff will follow-up and start the process. Libraries will receive the following, with availability of past usage reports dependent on the library's account status with each vendor.
Britannica
- Login credentials for the Britannica Stats Portal at https://stats.eb.com.
- Instructions for requesting and downloading reports. These may be obtained at any time; select these subscribed products Britannica Escolar Online, Britannica Learning Zone (Fundamentals), Britannica Library, Britannica Online School Edition, Enciclopedia Moderna, Merriam-Webster Unabridged. If your library subscribes to additional products, select those as well.
EBSCO
- Two reports - COUNTER 5.1 Database Master Report and Interface Usage Report for all available years (typically the past three years plus the current calendar year).
- Future reports may be obtained through the EBSCO Experience Manager (EEM). Instructions on how to request access to the EBSCO Experience Manager (EEM). Usage Reports are currently accessed in the EBSCOadmin module of EEM.
- Accessing Reports & Statistics in EBSCOadmin - Tutorial, EBSCO Public Events/Classes (search for statistics).
ProQuest
- One report - COUNTER 5.1 Database Master Report for all available years (typically the past three years).
- Future reports will also be automatically emailed every 3 months.
TeachingBooks
- Emailed report for the past year.
- Future reports will also be automatically emailed every month.
- Login credentials for the TeachingBooks Statistics Portal administrative site (varies).