Use study of Excerpta Medica abstract journals: to drop or not to drop?

The directors of the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, a medium-sized library serving the University of Virginia medical and nursing schools, were concerned over the increasing cost of periodical subscriptions and so studied the use of the printed copy of Excerpta Medica. This study had six parts: (1) availability in other campus libraries; (2) staff perceptions of in-library use; (3) results of studies performed by other libraries in the United States; (4) recorded in-library use; (5) users' opinions; and (6) personal interviews with library users and with selected departments tht corresponded with the forty-four subject areas of Excerpta Medica. The user-survey parts (4 and 5) elicited few responses, but personal interviews allowed a good look at levels of use and interest. The overall results convinced staff to drop some sections and publicize those that remained.