[Web4lib] effect of e-use on circulation [was: Authority + Wikipedia]

[Peter C. Gorman]

If this is borne out by research, it might give pause to those who 
digitize works in order to *decrease* use of the original (fragile, 
rare, etc.) items. On the other hand, it would provide indirect 
evidence that free electronic access is not an impediment to print 
sales.

At 2:31 PM -0400 10/12/05, Patricia F Anderson wrote:
>This echoes anecdotal evidence from those who found putting up free 
>copies online increased use and/or purchases of the print item. I am 
>thinking, for example, of the UM Making of America project, in which 
>circulation of the included items rose by several 100 percent after 
>the items were made available over the Internet. I don't know if any 
>articles were published about this trend, but if there were I'd love 
>to see them.
>
>Patricia Anderson, pfa at umich.edu

-- 
_______________________________
Peter C. Gorman
Head, University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center
pgorman at library.wisc.edu
(608) 265-5291

Fiddle, n. An instrument to tickle human ears by friction of a horse's
tail on the entrails of a cat. [Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_]