Membership helps you make the most of COUNTER

It’s the time of year where membership renewal invoices are landing in inboxes. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of COUNTER Metrics and our mission to maintain and develop the open standard for usage metrics. As you consider your budgets for next year, here is a quick recap of why membership helps you make the most of COUNTER.

1. COUNTER data saves time and money

We appreciate that budgets, especially in libraries, are under pressure. However, repeatedly, librarians tell us that normalised usage metrics help their libraries save on staff time. Normalised metrics are not just important for content that is behind a paywall but also open-access content.

2. Membership fees keep COUNTER going

Being a COUNTER member means you are supporting the maintenance and development of the Code of Practice, as well as all of the educational materials and technical tools that go with it. Membership fees fund COUNTER. Membership also funds our tiny team (less than one FTE in total) who keep things running and answer all the many questions we receive every day from COUNTER users all over the world.

3. Members set the direction of COUNTER

All COUNTER members are welcome to become part of our committees, focus groups and consultations – like the one we’re running next week about GenAI metrics. Members also get a vote in our AGM. All of these channels are essential in ensuring COUNTER, and the Code of Practice, meet community needs.

4. Member publishers are listed in the Registry

The COUNTER Registry is an important resource for all COUNTER users, and is used by thousands of libraries worldwide to check publishers’ compliance status. Only publishers and report providers who are COUNTER members can be listed in the Registry. Libraries are increasingly calling for COUNTER-compliant usage metrics for their open-access content, and in recent years we’ve seen OA-only publishers joining COUNTER for the first time.

5. Members get exclusive access to training and presentations

COUNTER members benefit from access to webinars and support from COUNTER. We have our next members-only “Introduction to COUNTER reports” webinar on 28 November. Members can also attend the annual COUNTER conference (look back at our 2024 line up). There is more planned – keep an eye on this blog and on our newsletter for more information!

To become a member of COUNTER visit our membership page. And you can contact the COUNTER team for more information and any invoice queries.