Academic
A 1-year study during 1964-65 at the Yale Medical Library concerning book and journal circulation (34,825 circulations) showed thatthe importance of journal currency varied considerably by subject area. For example, in the areas of nursing, science, and the cardiovascular system, 90% of the circulations were accounted for by 12 years, 13 years, and 15 years of backfiles of journal materials, respectively, while in the areas of anatomy, pathology, and psychology, 90% of the circulations required 30 years of backfiles of journal materials each. (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatcurrency was more important for journals than books. For example, 71% of the journals circulated had been published within the last 9 years, while only 66% of the books that circulated had been published within 9 years. Further, 90% of the journal circulations involved materials no more than 22 years old, while 90% of the book circulations required materials up to 28 years old. (Source)
A 1972-73 study of periodical usage in the Education-Psychology Library at Ohio State University showed that, based on 7,623 periodical circulation transactions generated in just over a month, 5 years of holdings provided 75.6% of the materials circulated and 8 years of holdings provided 90.6% of the materials circulated. (Source)
A 1974 study at the Woodward Biomedical Library, University of British Columbia (Canada), involving circulation of individual issues of 106 journal titles out of both a 20-year and 5-year backfile (761 issues and 471 issues, respectively), showed thatbased on a single inventory only 3% of the issues in the 20-year backfile and 5% of the issues in the 5-year backfile were not available because they were circulating. (Source)
A study reported in 1978 at Indiana University, Bloomington, of materials requested through a delivery service to faculty in the political science and economics departments during a 32-month period (October 1972-June 1975), involving 39 political scientists and 14 economists (40-50% of the faculty in the departments) and 5,478 articles from 620 different journals and newspapers, showed thatarticles published after 1950 (the study concluded June 1975) accounted for 97.6% of the requests. (Source)
Special
A 1-year study during 1964-65 at the Yale Medical Library concerning book and journal circulation (34,825 circulations) showed thatthe importance of journal currency varied considerably by subject area. For example, in the areas of nursing, science, and the cardiovascular system, 90% of the circulations were accounted for by 12 years, 13 years, and 15 years of backfiles of journal materials, respectively, while in the areas of anatomy, pathology, and psychology, 90% of the circulations required 30 years of backfiles of journal materials each. (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatcurrency was more important for journals than books. For example, 71% of the journals circulated had been published within the last 9 years, while only 66% of the books that circulated had been published within 9 years. Further, 90% of the journal circulations involved materials no more than 22 years old, while 90% of the book circulations required materials up to 28 years old. (Source)
A 1974 study at the Woodward Biomedical Library, University of British Columbia (Canada), involving circulation of individual issues of 106 journal titles out of both a 20-year and 5-year backfile (761 issues and 471 issues, respectively), showed thatbased on a single inventory only 3% of the issues in the 20-year backfile and 5% of the issues in the 5-year backfile were not available because they were circulating. (Source)
