Wayne State University Libraries implement SUSHI

The Wayne State University Libraries have achieved real-time acquisition of user statistics from within Innovative Interfaces' electronic resource management system. The Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI) model is now enabling staff to access information from Swets, which allows them to do cost-per-use analysis and eliminate time-consuming staff chores.

‘Our electronic resource management system tracks resources, as well as analyses and stores usage information,’ said John Rutherford, Wayne State University Library systems manager. ‘With the new data transfer from Swets, we will be able to combine our financial information with SwetsWise usage data for the first time, eliminating time-consuming manual downloads. This will provide us with a valuable concept of cost-per-use. Together with the usage data in the new COUNTER format—which the Innovative ERM and most publishers now provide—SUSHI really expands our ability to access and manage our data.’

The new functionality is also said to increase the frequency with which staff can obtain new statistics. Because it takes dramatically less time, they can schedule automatic download of statistics every month, instead of only twice a year with the previous model. The SUSHI-compatible data from Swets and the compliance of ERM with the standard is described as crucial because it also eliminates the need for in-library programming.