Copac Usage: text summary of graph

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General Copac Usage

Copac use is recorded as the number of sessions taking place each month. Any single session may include a number of separate searches.

Copac use has been growing since the service was introduced in 1996. It reached over 82,500 sessions per month in October 1998, the rate of growth then increased from the start of 1999. With a occasional exceptions, each year shows higher use compared with the same period in the previous year. Exceptionally high usage of over 1,200,000 sessions was recorded in Febrary 2008 with a more expected peak of usage of over 800,000 sessions in November 2009. After August 2009 usage figures are no longer directly comparable but show a similar pattern of use with a high point of over 690,000 sessions in November 2009.

The overall pattern of use is similar each year with a drop in activity usually seen during major academic holidays, most notably Christmas. As February is a shorter month, some years also show a slight overall drop in use during this month, though the daily usage figures may have increased. There is generally a drop in use during March or April as a result of the Easter holiday and also in the summer, notably August.

Response time problems

Response time problems resulting from high levels of usage arose at the end of 2003. These were controlled, in part, by filtering queries from the Karlsruhe Virtual Catalog during peak periods. The response time problems were resolved with the move to a new system which took place in December 2004 and filtering of Karlsruhe queries was removed at this time.

Usage through the various Copac interfaces

Most users access Copac using the Web Interface. Use of the Z39.50 Target was initially more modest, but this has been growing. Initially the use of the Z39.50 Target fluctuated, but since September 2003 it has started to show the same pattern as the Web interface. This perhaps reflects the more widespread use of Z39.50 compliant software, such as EndNote, amongst the academic community.

Use of the Text Interface was always much lower. During 2004 usage regularly dipped below 100 sessions a month. As a result of this low usage it was decided not to move the Text Interface over when Copac moved to a new machine and the Text Interface ceased in December 2004.

Copac V3 has been used at various times to trial new interface developments so it is not always available and usage varies, not following the usual academic year pattern.