COUNTER Newsletter, September 2023

September always feels like back-to-school season, and in this edition of the COUNTER newsletter I’ve included a bit about how you have graded us over the last year – also known as the results of the COUNTER survey – as well as details about an upcoming webinar on Release 5.1, an invitation from the OA Book Usage Data Trust, and the usual information about where to find me at upcoming events. 

All the best – Tasha

Marking Our Homework: Results of the COUNTER Survey

Were you one of our survey respondents? This year saw the highest ever level of survey participation, so a huge ‘Thank you’ to everyone who sent in their feedback!

Nearly everyone (93%) of you reported being happy or very happy with COUNTER, with our free education materials being particularly highly appreciated.

Not quite so many people – just 81% – were aware of Release 5.1 of the COUNTER Code of Practice, so there’s clearly more work to do on communicating what that means. However, 96% of people who did know about R5.1 were happy with it, with several commenting that the consultation last year was valuable in understanding the changes we’ve introduced.

One thing that came through clearly was that not everyone knows that this newsletter is available to everyone, members and non-members alike, so please do encourage your colleagues to sign up and stay informed.

COUNTER Release 5.1 Webinar

Speaking of staying informed, I’m planning a series of short webinars on the ins and outs of Release 5.1 of the COUNTER Code of Practice. The first of these webinars is scheduled for the 13th of November and it is going to cover:

• What’s changed from Release 5 and why the change was made
• What report providers (publishers, aggregators, technology providers) need to do to remain compliant
• What report consumers (libraries, consortia, funders) should do to prepare
• How R5.1 is optimised for OA

There will of course be plenty of time for Q&A, but I’ll also be offering early birds the chance to shape the webinar by sending me their questions in advance, so sign up soon!

The webinar recording will be made available on the website and there will be others in the series, so if you can’t make it don’t worry.

COUNTER in the Community

In case you missed it, COUNTER features in a recent article alongside DOAJ and the OA Switchboard, highlighting the value of open infrastructure and standards. It’s free to read in Research Information.

I’m busy putting together proposals for several conferences next year, but please do drop me a line if there’s somewhere you think I should be! In the meantime, you’ll be able to find me in November at two events:

• The Charleston Conference, where I’m running a short workshop on how to use COUNTER Reports
• The online-only UKSG November conference. This digital event takes place over two days and is focused on how libraries and publishers work together to educate, enhance and inform scholarship.

OA Book Usage Data Trust Community Consultation

The OA Book Usage Data Trust is working towards addressing the challenge of aggregating and curating OA book usage data by enabling community-governed sharing of quality, interoperable data. They are currently working on a draft rulebook to specify the principles that generate trust through participation, usage data management, processing, and provision.

The Trust is inviting feedback on the rulebook principles to ensure they are developed in line with the community. You can participate by taking part in focus groups or by providing your feedback via online surveys. Sign up for one or both options at https://bit.ly/3q00nkh

For any questions please contact Ursula Rabar, Community Manager, at ursula.rabar@operas-eu.org