Building Confidence, Efficiency, and Insight through Automated Usage Analytics

The University of Utah, the flagship public research institution in the state and a proud member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), is widely recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and public service. Serving more than 38,261 students, the university supports nationally respected programs in health sciences, medicine, engineering, business, and game development.

At the center of this academic ecosystem is the J. Willard Marriott Library, which – together with the Faust Law Library and the Eccles Health Sciences Library – supports a highly research-intensive campus. With access to millions of electronic articles, journals, e-books, and streaming media titles across hundreds of vendors, accurate and timely usage data is critical for responsible collection management and strategic decision-making.

To modernize its approach to usage analytics and reduce the operational burden of manual reporting, the Marriott Library implemented SUSHI harvesting in Alma, creating a more sustainable, centralized, and analytics-ready workflow.

“We realized that relying on manual downloads and spreadsheets wasn’t sustainable anymore. We needed a process that would support better decisions and make data accessible across the library.”

Mary Ann James
Electronic Resources Manager

Key Outcomes

• Automated harvesting of COUNTER usage data directly into Alma
• Reduced manual downloading and consolidation of vendor reports
• Centralized usage data across publishers in one environment
• Expanded access to analytics through Alma Analytics dashboards
• More time for analysis and strategic collection decision-making

Managing Electronic Resources at Scale

Electronic resources represent a substantial share of the library’s collections budget and are heavily relied upon across campus, particularly in the medical and health sciences, engineering, and business disciplines.

The University of Utah Libraries manage 1,649 active electronic collections comprising more than 4 million electronic portfolios, requiring close collaboration between electronic resources, collections strategy, and assessment teams.

As expectations for transparency and accountability continued to grow, the library recognized the need for a more reliable and scalable way to collect and analyze COUNTER usage data.

The Challenge: Manual Usage Data Workflows

Before implementing SUSHI harvesting, COUNTER usage statistics were gathered entirely manually. Library staff logged into vendor administrative portals, downloaded reports, tracked credentials, and compiled spreadsheets for internal analysis and external reporting to organizations such as ARL and ACRL.

This workflow created several challenges:

• Time-intensive reporting cycles that could take months to complete
• Heavy dependence on a small number of staff members
• Missing or incomplete reports due to login issues or vendor access problems
• Limited ability to perform deeper analytics across multiple publishers
• Using dated usage statistics when updated use was urgently needed for administrative and assessment needs.

“Because it took so long just to assemble the data, it was hard to move beyond counting and into real analysis.”
Mary Aagard
Head of Collections and Resource Description

In some reporting cycles, manual data collection required 100 or more staff hours, leaving little time for deeper analysis and collection evaluation.

Recognizing the Need for Automation

Several factors highlighted the need for a more sustainable approach:

• Staff turnover increased operational risk
• The transition from COUNTER 4 to COUNTER 5 introduced additional complexity
• Leadership identified gaps in automated harvesting coverage
• A newly appointed Assessment Librarian required timely, self-service analytics

The library needed a system that would provide consistent, centralized, and trustworthy usage data without relying on spreadsheets or manual vendor logins.

“Knowing the data is there – and knowing we can trust it – changes how we approach collection decisions.”

Mary Aagard
Head of Collections and Resource Description

Implementing SUSHI Harvesting in Alma

The Marriott Library began standardizing SUSHI harvesting within Alma, supported by COUNTER documentation, training resources, and collaboration with Ex Libris, part of Clarivate.

Hands-on guidance from Ex Libris consultants helped the team build confidence and momentum during implementation.

“Having someone who could work through the setup with us in real time made all the difference. It felt collaborative, not transactional.”

Mary Ann James
Electronic Resources Manager

A Phased, High-Impact Approach

To ensure early value, the team focused first on:

• High-cost, high-use vendors
• Major publishers and aggregators such as Elsevier, ProQuest, EBSCO, Wiley, and Sage

“We started with the vendors where we were spending the most money. That way, even early on, the data we captured had real impact.”

Mary Ann James
Electronic Resources Manager

When credentials and configurations were clear, SUSHI accounts could often be configured and harvesting initiated in as little as five to ten minutes.

From Manual Reporting to Data Confidence

With automated harvesting in place, the library can now collect COUNTER usage data directly within Alma rather than logging into dozens of vendor platforms.

This shift significantly reduces the time spent retrieving and consolidating reports while making the workflow more resilient and collaborative. Multiple staff members can now participate in gathering, verifying, and analyzing usage data.

“Instead of dedicating weeks to collecting usage data, we can now focus on understanding it and using it to support real decisions.”

Isabella Wurtz
Collection Development Assistant

As historical data continues to be added to Alma, the team is also validating harvested statistics against previously compiled reports to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Turning Usage Data into Insight

With SUSHI-harvested statistics flowing directly into Alma Analytics, the library is building dashboards and reporting tools that make usage insights easier to access and interpret.

These analytics capabilities support:

• Near real-time usage monitoring
• Cost-per-use analysis
• Self-service reporting for assessment staff
• Greater transparency across the organization

Because the data is centralized within Alma, staff can now compare usage across multiple publishers in one place, enabling deeper analysis of trends such as high-demand journal titles and heavily used resources.

The library is also developing dashboards and widgets to help staff quickly access the statistics they need without relying on manually compiled spreadsheets.

“Our goal is to make usage data accessible to anyone who needs it, not locked behind one person or one spreadsheet.”

Mary Ann James
Electronic Resources Manager

This approach helps strengthen communication with library leadership and supports evidence-based collection decisions.

Advice for Other Libraries

Based on their experience, the University of Utah Libraries recommend:

• Start with your largest and most expensive vendors
• Expect variation in vendor SUSHI implementations
• Use the COUNTER Registry early and often
• Invest time upfront for long-term gains

“It takes time to get everything in place, but the long-term benefits of automating usage data are absolutely worth it.”

Mary Ann James
Electronic Resources Manager

Looking Ahead

As SUSHI harvesting continues to mature, the Marriott Library plans to:

• Expand vendor coverage
• Enhance analytics dashboards
• Enable broader self-service access to usage data
• Shift staff time from data gathering to strategic analysis

By automating COUNTER usage data through Alma, the University of Utah Libraries are building a more sustainable, transparent, and data-driven future – one where insights are available when they matter most.