Released on
10 May 2007 Bath and North East Somerset comes top as England's public library members log on to reference "heaven"When it comes to surfing the latest resources on the Internet, library users are logging on in their hundreds of thousands to enjoy
the nation's most trusted reference resources.
Oxford University Press (OUP) has just released the first set of annual usage statistics for its prestigious Oxford Online resources,
widely available across England's public libraries following the landmark agreement between OUP and the Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA) in March 2006.
Over the past year, library users in 145 library authorities across England have clocked up an impressive 1134 days and 18 hours
logging on to world-famous resources such as the Oxford English Dictionary Online (OED Online), the
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford DNB), Grove Art Online, Grove Music Online,
and Oxford Reference Online.
Bath and North East Somerset tops the league with the highest number of sessions per capita overall.
The MLA/OUP deal has had a great impact on our library users," says Basil Nankivell, Customer Services Libraries and
Information, Bath and North East Somerset Council. "Being able to offer excellent online resources for the Google generation has
really helped to keep the library's profile high as a place to get
quality information."
More users in Hampshire than anywhere else have used the resources overall, but members of libraries in Oxfordshire have spent
the most time browsing the collections online.
"We're delighted that Oxfordshire Libraries members are such impressive users of OUP titles online, and that's largely due to
our staff who are so fired up by this wide world of information and promoting it enthusiastically," comments Katharine Spackman,
County Reference and Information Librarian, Oxfordshire Libraries. "The excitement and interest when we introduce people to the
titles is huge, with the typical reaction being, 'I'm going to tell my friends about this!' It's a great way to make our information
service more accessible and convenient for people and we've had lots of excellent customer comments."
Other 'switched-on' library authorities in terms of sessions per capita include City of London, City of Westminster, London Borough
of Camden, Stoke-on-Trent, London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, East Riding, London Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, Newcastle, and
the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The statistics have also revealed some interesting regional variations in usage - for example:
- West Sussex library members top the league table for time spent exploring the Oxford DNB, clocking up over 451 hours of usage,
but more users in Hampshire than anywhere else have logged on. Overall, English public library members have consulted the Oxford DNB
over 126,000 times, spending more than 10,000 hours browsing this award-winning collection of 55,000 biographies.
- Cheshire users show their love of words, browsing OED Online in the highest numbers and for the longest time. West Berkshire comes
top for the highest number of sessions per capita, and over 82,000 individual sessions have been recorded overall for OED Online.
- East Riding appears to have the highest concentration of art lovers, with more users clocking up more hours exploring Grove Art Online
than anywhere else in England.
- Birmingham has a vast number of music lovers, coming top of the pops for Grove Music Online in terms of session time. Bath and
North East Somerset came first for the number of sessions per capita.
- The City of Westminster has recorded the most sessions per capita for Oxford Reference Online, whilst users in Lancashire are
spending most time searching and browsing this collection of trusted reference works.
The UK now boasts the fifth-largest broadband population in the world*, and England's public library members are making the most
of the opportunity to consult Oxford Online resources free of charge from home.
As well as access at their local library, members can log on to these invaluable resources from any computer at any time, simply
by using their library card - and 50% of user sessions are now from outside the library.
"Thanks to the agreement between the MLA and OUP all holders of a Cheshire Library card can access such magisterial works as the
entire Oxford English Dictionary and Grove Art Online from home, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," says Sue Edison of Cheshire Library
Services. "Whether it's homework, quiz questions, research or the crossword clue a formidable reference library is now available at
the click of a mouse." [see the Notes to Editors section for more quotes from librarians]
John Dolan, Head of Library Policy, MLA Council says, "Libraries are for everyone. Oxford Online, as part of our
Reference Online initiative, is taking the highest calibre of reference works to people in their home, school and work. With growing
usage this is a brilliant step forward for public libraries in England."
"OUP is delighted that our landmark agreement with the MLA has been greeted so enthusiastically by public librarians and their
members across England, and that usage of our award-winning range of online resources is increasing so rapidly both within libraries
and from home," comments Susanna Lob, Head of Marketing for Reference and Online Publishing at OUP. "The agreement underlines OUP's
core mission to promote widespread access to top quality information and scholarship, and we look forward to continuing to
support librarians' efforts to let their members know about the wonderful range of Oxford online resources now available to them
free of charge 24x7."
Is your library connected? Find out at http://www.oxfordonline.com/englishpubliclibraries/libraries/
For further information please contact Juliet Evans, Oxford University Press on 01865 353911 or juliet.evans@oup.com.
Notes to Editors
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world's largest and most international of university presses.
Founded in 1478, it currently publishes more than 4,500 new books a year, has a presence in over fifty countries,
and employs some 3,700 people worldwide. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing programme
that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks,
children's books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language,
business books, dictionaries and reference books, and journals. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) works with the nine regional agencies in the MLA Partnership to improve people's
lives by building knowledge, supporting learning, inspiring creativity and celebrating identity. The Partnership acts collectively for
the benefit of the sector and the public, leading the transformation of museums, libraries and archives for the future. Visit:
www.mla.gov.uk.
The MLA/OUP National Agreement:
The Agreement forms part of Reference Online, a new programme managed by the MLA to streamline the procurement process for online
resources by negotiating agreements on behalf of English public libraries.
145 out of 149 library authorities in England - from Cornwall to Northumberland - have already signed up to the 2-year OUP/MLA
National Agreement. This means that over 48 million English residents can explore Oxford's award-winning online resources free
of charge until 31 March 2008 simply by joining their local library:
Further information about the Agreement can be found at http://www.oxfordonline/englishpubliclibraries/ and full list of the
libraries participating in the offer is available online at http://www.oxfordonline/englishpubliclibraries/libraries/
*Broadband Usage Figures:
Source: eMarketer at http://www.emarketer.com/Articles/Print.aspx?1004706
Praise for the OUP/MLA national agreement from librarians:
"I am delighted that online access has been taken up so well in West Berkshire. Our customers are accessing the
Oxford English Dictionary and other online products both in our libraries and from home. This extends our service and gives
added value. The popularity of the service shows the value of the work being done to broaden and simplify public access via the
library network."
Mike Brook, Team Leader (Lifelong learning) for West Berkshire Library Service
"It's very rewarding to learn that West Sussex Library users are top of the table in Britain when it comes to using the
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Once again it proves that Libraries now play a vital role in providing specialist
online information to their customers, information which is not available to every internet user."
Mike Coleman Deputy Leader of West Sussex County Council
"We are delighted that our inclusion this partnership between the MLA and OUP has been used so enthusiastically by East Riding
library customers. Once again we are able to demonstrate that the library service in the East Riding is about more than just
borrowing books."
Richard Primmer, Acting Head of Culture, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Further praise for the OUP/MLA national agreement:
"A remarkable deal. The list of works is astonishing... It's hard to imagine a better excuse for the recent rises in the council tax..."
The Independent, April 15, 2006
"A fantastic bargain available online"
The Oldie
"Click to free reference 'heaven'"
CILIP Newsletter, June 2006
"How else could I discover, at two in the morning and chasing a deadline, how many times Lord Rosebery's horses won the Derby
when he was Prime Minister - or how many petitions Thomas Clarkson collected in his 1824 campaign against slavery? I tracked
down that last one, incidentally, by dialling up the Internet while passing through Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and using my
Westminster library card number." Robert Lacey, author of Great Tales from English History and Royal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
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