COUNTER Code of Practice for books now available

["Gillingham Emily" <Emily.Gillingham@oxon.blackwellpublishing.com>]

-- Release 1 of the COUNTER Code of Practice for books now available --

The final version of Release 1 of the new COUNTER Code of 
Practice for online books and reference works has now been 
published and can be accessed on the COUNTER website at 
http://www.projectCounter.org

This marks the first expansion of COUNTER's coverage beyond 
journals and databases. The Code of Practice for online books and 
reference works has been developed with input from a task force 
of librarians and publishers with expert knowledge of these 
products and is the first attempt to introduce a comprehensive 
industry standard for the recording and reporting of online book 
usage data.

This Code of Practice was available on the COUNTER website for 
comment for an extended period during 2005. Feedback received 
both from vendors and librarians has been taken into account and 
is reflected in the final version.

The COUNTER Code of Practice for online books and reference works 
is valid from March 2006. Vendors seeking to comply with it 
should follow the procedures described in the Code of Practice 
document. Its features include:

* A set of six basic usage reports that cover full-text requests 
for a whole title, as well as for sections (e.g. chapters, 
encyclopaedia entries) within a title. Searches, sessions and 
turnaways are also covered.

* A comprehensive set of definitions of terms relevant to books 
and reference works

* A format and structure consistent with the existing COUNTER 
Code of Practice for journals and databases. Only the content of 
the usage reports has been changed and the set of definitions of 
terms expanded. The specifications for report delivery, data 
processing, auditing, and compliance are identical to those 
already prescribed in the Code of Practice for journals and 
databases.


- About COUNTER -

COUNTER (Counting Online Usage of NeTworked Electronic Resources) 
is a multi-agency initiative whose objective is to develop a set 
of internationally accepted, extendible Codes of Practice that 
will allow the usage of online information products and services 
to be measured more consistently.  Release 2 of the COUNTER Code 
of Practice for journals and databases was published in April 
2005 and is now widely implemented. COUNTER is actively supported 
by the international community of librarians and publishers, and 
by their professional organisations.

For more information, please contact:
Peter Shepherd
Project Director - COUNTER
pshepherd@projectCounter.org