The Biggest Winner: Using Statistics to Assess the Effectiveness of an E-Resources Promotional Campaign

In the fall of 2011, librarians at Bowling Green State University were given the opportunity to compete for a $100 Amazon.com gift card by promoting an underused database. Usage statistics were tracked throughout the semester and compared with those for the same time period from the previous year. Eight of the twelve databases promoted rose in use. This article discusses the project methodology and uses its outcomes to assess the effectiveness of a range of marketing techniques for electronic resources, presents hypotheses to account for some declines in usage, and demonstrates the value of distributed, personalized promotion for library resources.