NISO to Hold Forum on Understanding the Data Around Us
Amigos Cosponsoring Two-Day Event on Gathering and Analyzing Usage Data

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and Amigos Library Services will host a forum on Understanding the Data Around Us: Gathering and Analyzing Usage Data, to be held November 1-2 at the Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas. This two-day event asks library and information service providers to think about what kinds of usage data—for e-resources, print, and more—can be used to help improve the provision of information services, what data might be missing, and ways all parties involved (libraries, publishers, aggregators, and system vendors) can best use the data collected. The event includes speakers who will discuss issues of gathering, analyzing, and applying usage data, and encourages the audience to engage with questions of their own.

Topics to be addressed include:

• Environmental scan on usage data: What data is being collected and why? What's missing?
• COUNTER: Learn about COUNTER (Counting Online Usage of NeTworked Electronic Resources) and how the Codes of Practice improve the reliability of online usage statistics.
• Library Perspective: How is data collected and what administrative questions does it answer?
• Publisher Perspective: How is data collected and disseminated, and how does it affect sales and pricing?
• Aggregator Perspective: How is data compiled from disparate content providers, and what reporting is being done?
• SUSHI: Learn how the SUSHI (Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative) protocol can automate the retrieval of COUNTER and other usage statistics.
• Case Study: The large-scale harvesting of electronic resources usage data in a collaboration between a data aggregator, software provider, and academic library.
• Next steps: Once you have data, what do you do with it? Learn about applications of usage data, including impact on collections decisions, services, and quality rankings.

Registration is now open. The early bird discount closes October 18th. NISO and Amigos members are eligible for substantial discounts. Visit the event webpage (http://www.niso.org/news/events_workshops/usage07/ l) for more information or contact Karen Wetzel, NISO Standards Program Manager, at kwetzel@niso.org.

Amigos Library Services is a cosponsor with NISO of the forum and Ex Libris is a major sponsor. Additional sponsors are Innovative Interfaces, Serials Solutions, and Thomson Scientific.