>>> Sheryl Adam Tuesday, February 22, 2005 12:20:13 PM >>>

Dear RIC’ers-

Here’s November 04 for the “Resources by Subject” Page
(subject-resources.html) The rest of the months are much the same.

168439: /home/research.html

130378: /resources/onlinelist.cfm
(This is “Indexes and Databases” off the blue bar)

32982: /home/subject-resources.html
29723: /home/libaccount.html
24339: /home/libaccount-email.html
23702: /home/proxyinfo/
21162: /home/subjects-all.html
13355: /home/isearch.html
11912: /home/cat-exit.html
9675: /home/howto.html
. . .

Hits on the top page for ’04:
Jan 2484: 0.07*: /infolit/
1578: 0.05*: /infolit/
1486: 0.05*: /infolit/
April 783: 0.04*: /infolit/
1152: 0.03*: /infolit/
1307: 0.03*: /infolit/
July 1557: 0.03*: /infolit/
1744: 0.04*: /infolit/
1425: 0.02*: /infolit/
Oct 2465: 0.03*: /infolit/
1316: 0.02*: /infolit/
1565: 0.02*: /infolit/

This number of hits is in the same ballpark as the Woodward Memorial Room,
the MacMillan Library homepage, the HSS Newspaper page and the page where
Yvonne puts some of her projects in progress – in other words, not a lot,
but not an insignificant number.

I checked what other infolit pages had been visited on a few critical
months: somewhere between 60-120 hits on pages for faculty and librarians,
slightly more for librarians. My guess is that lots of
(desperate?) people click on Info Lit on the Instruction Page but don’t go
any further because it doesn’t have what they’re looking for.

We can discuss this all at length next month.

Best,
Sheryl

Sheryl Adam
Chapman Learning Commons Librarian tel: 604.822.1485
University of British Columbia Library fax: 604.822.5366
1956 Main Mall
Vancouver, B. C. Canada, V6T 1Z1 sheryl.adam@ubc.ca

>>> dgwilson Wednesday, February 09, 2005 3:04:23 PM >>>

Hi all : FYi and discussion at next meeting
4. Directional/reference statistics at circulation desks
a) Margaret spoke to her handout “Reference questions at the circulation
service point”. Small branches include answering questions in their
statistics gathering: large branches (Koerner, Woodward) do not yet
although Main has started to do so. The definitions for directional/
reference questions will be formulated and distributed to all branches
to ensure consistency in application library-wide. (Two issues: (1)
inclusion of all circulation service points and (2) consistency in
applying definitions agreed on.

b) There was discussion about e-chat questions and how they are counted.
Simon said that they are counted centrally through e-chat not reported
to the unit where the e-chat librarian works. Conversely, lib-contacts
questions are counted by individual librarians and reported to their
units.

c) Discussion about the use of the word “reference” questions at the
circulation desk and whether this terminology could be problematic if
reference is outside someone’s job classification.

d) Discussion about how to count numerous questions from one patron. The
handout suggests counting the person, not # of questions. Kirsten and
Chris thought that the number of questions was important, and those
numbers should be counted.
Action: Margaret will revise the document. She asked for members to
e-mail comments.
–
Deborah Wilson
deborah.wilson@ubc.ca
Reference Librarian @MacMillan Library
(Agricultural Sciences & Forestry)
University of British Columbia
2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
tel.604-822-0295
fax.604-822-9544

>>> srgl@HFX.EASTLINK.CA Tuesday, February 08, 2005 9:49:26 AM >>>

Joan Cavanagh wrote

>Subject: Re: reference statistics software
>
>I posted a question a month or so ago asking if anyone was using any kind of
>automated system to gather and analyze reference desk statistics.I wrote a little Windows program to do just that. You’re welcome to try
it out – please let me know if you like it and decide to keep on using it.

See http://users.eastlink.ca/~srgl/clickcount

When you start using it, you configure it with the buttons that you want.
After that, every time you click of a button gets recorded, along with the
date and time. You also have the option, if you choose, to have a field
where users can record a brief note.

There is no statistical analysis built in, but the layout of the log file is
designed to make it very easy to generate statistics using the pivot table
feature of Microsoft Excel. You just import the file to Excel, select the
entire sheet and use the wizard to set up a pivot table.

>Several people took the time to ask me to share any information I turned up
>so here’s an udpate. There seems to be lots of interest out there (10 people
>responded to tell me their libraries were also very interested in finding a way
> to manage this electronically),…snip…
>So…it sounds like many of us are in the same boat. We need to gather
>better statistics for planning purposes, but are looking for a better alternative
>than those old tally sheets. If any of you do find an effective (and
>cost-effective) alternative, let us know!

With the pivot table, you can get just about any combination of statistics you like:

- monthly rates
- time of day analysis
- day of week analysis
- break down by categories

If you have a local area network, the log file can be shared between multiple PCs, so that you do not need to collate several sets of statistics.

Enjoy!

Steve Lelievre

Download MS Word file

draft draft draft

Definitions for reporting library statistics

In reviewing the reference and instruction statistics submitted to me for external reporting purposes, I have observed that we are not collecting information in a manner consistent with our primary reporting requirements.

I would like to have statistics reported to me in accordance with the ARL/CARL definition below. Each unit may also keep any statistics they wish for their own purposes. We can also sample usage over a representative time period and use the data for extrapolation purposes.Please contact me if you have questions or comments.

A. Definitions: Directional/reference

1. Directional transaction:
an information contact that facilitates the logistical use of the library and that does not involve the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction in the use of any information sources other than those that describe the library, such as schedules, floor plans, and handbooks.

2. Reference transaction:
an information contact that involves the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction in the use of one or more information sources by a member of the library staff. The term includes information and referral service. Information sources include:
a. printed and nonprinted material
b. machine-readable databases (including computer-assisted instruction)
c. the library’s own catalogues and other holdings records
d. other libraries and institutions through communication or referral
e. persons both inside and outside the library.
When a staff member uses information gained from previous use of information sources to answer a question, the transaction is reported as a reference transaction even if the source is not consulted again.

Notes:
• Research transactions are included in reference transactions.
• Duration is not an element in determining whether a transaction is a reference transaction.
• Personal, one-to-one instruction in the use of sources should be counted as reference transactions.
• Interlibrary loan verification: report ILL/DD activity in the ILL/DD reports at year-end. If verification assistance is provided at the reference desk (face-to-face, telephone), please include in reference as per definition above.
• Circulation: questions at the circulation desk regarding circulation transactions are not included in directional/reference statistics.

B. Instruction
Presentations to groups

Report the total number of sessions during the year of presentations made as part of formal bibliographic instruction programs and through other planned class presentations, orientation sessions, and tours. If the library sponsors multi-session or credit courses that meet several times over the course of a semester, each session should be counted. Presentations to groups may be either bibliographic instruction, cultural, recreational, or educational purposes. Sessions both on and off the premises should be included as long as they are sponsored by the library. Do not include meetings sponsored by other groups using library meeting rooms.

Note: WebCT and other web-based sessions: please include number of classes and participation in figures above, and supply a footnote with the separate figures for web-based sessions, as well. ARL/CARL do not differentiate, but these trends are important to track internally.

If you have questions, please contact me.
Thanks.

Margaret Friesen, Library Statistics Program
May 6, 2004

Posted to Lib-All
[lib-all] Monthly Statistics Submission Form
To: heads and statistics reporters, branches/divisions:

Effective immediately (September 2004), please try out this new online form for submitting statistics to me. You will note that only the core library-wide statistics are being requested on this form.

Please ensure that you record statistics as per the definitions stated. If you have questions, please contact me.

http://www.library.ubc.ca/staff/libstats/getstats/

Note: In addition, each unit/branch may collect its own additional data
for in-unit purposes.

Thank you for your cooperation. I welcome your comments on this form and
process.

Regards, Margaret
Library Statistics Program
–
Margaret Friesen
Head, Humanities & Social Sciences
University of British Columbia – Koerner Library
219A – 1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2
mfriesen@interchange.ubc.ca ph:(604)822-4430 fax:(604)822-3335

Katherine Kalsbeek and I attended the ARL Webcast on Monday, October 4. More information about the presentation, including PowerPoint slides, is available at the following website: http://www.arl.org/training/webcast/stats04/index.html

Three speakers in the one and a half hour presentation explained a number of changes being made to the ARL survey in order to better reflect new practices in libraries. ARL wants to move beyond “inventorying print collections” and start recording electronic collections in more detail.

The ARL Supplementary Survey will now focus on collecting statistics related to e-resources including Number of and Expenditures for Networked Electronic Resources, Use of Networked Electronic Resources and Services, and Library Digitization Activities.

Latest report from ARL: http://www.arl.org/stats/arlstat/03pub/03intro.html

Excerpt…
ARL Statistics 2002-03 is the latest in a series of annual publications that describe collections, staffing, expenditures, and service activities for the 123 members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Of these, 113 are university libraries; the remaining 10 are public, governmental, and nonprofit research libraries. ARL member libraries are the largest research libraries in North America, representing 16 Canadian and 107 U.S. research institutions. The academic libraries, which comprise about 92% of the membership, include 14 Canadian and 99 U.S. libraries.

ARL Statistics http://www.arl.org/stats/arlstat/

Traditionally, library performance has been measured by means of quantitative statistics: the number of monographic and serial titles in the library’s collection, annual growth in collection size, number of staff, circulation statistics, size of library budget, etc. The following web sites provide quantitative statistics, primarily for academic libraries:

Statistics: Measuring Library Performance http://www.library.ubc.ca/hss/slais/statistics.html

Guide to Gathering Statistics for Subject Guides
Reference and Instruction Committee [July 19, 2004 presented September 28, 2004]
Prepared by Katherine Kalsbeek

1. Go to Staff page http://www.library.ubc.ca/staff/
2. Click on Systems & Web, Select Website statistics
3. Go to the On-line Resource Information Pages, Subject pages section and click on the stats directory link ( http://toby.library.ubc.ca/stats/)
4. Open the relevant folder. For example, statistics for June 2004 are found in the 200406.html folder.
5. Then, using CTRL-F, locate the usage stats for your subject page (e.g /subjects/subjpage1.cfm?id=333 )

**Keep in mind, however, when you are gathering statistics that there are sometimes irregularities in the web server tracking. In December 2003, for example, statistics were gathered from Sun-28-Dec-2003 14:59 to Mon-29-Dec-2003 10:32 (0.81 days).

Compilation of Woodward Library statistics is available at: http://www.library.ubc.ca/life/statistics/

Posted to Lib-Librarians

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 08:14:05 -0700
From: Margaret Friesen
To: lib-librarians ,
lib-mp@interchange.ubc.ca
Subject: [lib-librarians] Webcast Oct 4: ARL Statistics

To Librarians, M&P:
If you would like to participate in this webcast:
ARL Statistics Data Collection
Oct. 4, 10:30 am to 12 noon (please arrive at least 5 minutes early)
Koerner Library Room 216

please send me a message.

Thanks, regards, Margaret
–
Margaret Friesen
Head, Humanities & Social Sciences
University of British Columbia – Koerner Library
219A – 1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2
mfriesen@interchange.ubc.ca ph:(604)822-4430 fax:(604)822-3335