Exploring the Value of Citation Management Tools in the Academic Library

The vast majority of the literature on citation management software focuses on making comparisons and providing recommendations. Even articles that go beyond Consumer Reports-style product reviews lack any critical analysis of the relationships between libraries and the vendors who design and sell citation management tools. Librarians communicate with these vendors in order to get technical assistance, report bugs, provide feedback on the product, and make feature requests. In this context, the relationship between librarian and vendor is that of customer and merchant. However, libraries that pay for expensive citation management software subscriptions must market these tools to students and faculty so that use levels justify the cost. In this context, librarians are no longer customers. Instead, they become advertisers and technical trainers promoting a commercial product on behalf of a for-profit corporation. This presentation will address the various roles that librarians play in their relationships with this subset of vendors, explore the financial value of the citation management software industry, and share the results of a recent survey of 300+ academic librarians on their experiences supporting citation management tools