Analyze This! An Iterative Analysis of Reference Statistics

Analyze This!An Iterative Analysis ofReference Statistics

Nadia J. Lalla, Erin Kerby, Deborah LausengTaubman Health Sciences LibraryUniversity of Michigan

The Three Amigos

Deborah

Erin (with Alfie)

Nadia

In the Beginning

Does the transaction datasupport our service model?

I Have A Question!

Types of QuestionsCirculationReferenceDirectional

AccessResearch

Citation Management

Where Are Questions AskedIntegrated Reference/Information Desk

PhoneEmail

Office HoursConsultations

The Counting Part

Year One (June 2010 – July 2011)

Monthly statistical nag

End of the year statistical beg

Ran a basic report (who, what, when, where)

Performed a trend analysis

Trends in Usage at Service Points

Purpose of Contact

Peak Service Times

Trends in usage andpeak services times were as expected.

Could a New Service Model Work?

Simultaneous Uniform Single Service Point

Staffing• Reference staff at Information/Circulation Desk

• Circulation = backup support to reference

Requires a higher skill set

• More expertise

• Greater knowledge of sources

Year Two (June 2011 – July 2012)

DeskTracker and Footprints statistics gathering

Additional data collection instrument

Affinity analysis

Problems with Data Collection

A New Nag

Interpretation is a Fine Art

AKA how to drive your SI student insane

25%

20%

13%

11%

8%

7%

4%4%

3% 2%1% 1% DirectionalLibrary Resources & ServicesTechnology IssueCirculation IssueTools & SuppliesLibrary Policies & ProceduresLibrary StaffBuilding/FacilityLibrary ExhibitsNo categoryLost & FoundCampus ResourcesCollectionsLibrary Operations

Information/Circulation Desk

n=1,591

60%10%

9%

8%

5%3% 3%

Directional

Outside THL

Restroom

Books

Call #

Journals

2802

5th/6th floor

Directions to THL

Printer/copier/scanner

Misc

Total = 400

53%

12%8%

7%

6%3%

3%3%2%

2%

Library Resources & Services

Help finding book/journal

Access issue

Misc resource

Research help

Database help

Request for backup

Library collection

Liaisons services

Misc service

Misc reference

Total=322

The Details – Information/Circulation Desk

72%

17%

4%

3%1%1%

Library Resources & Services

Technology Issue

Library Policies & Procedures

Circulation Issue

Directional

Collections

Library Exhibits

No category

Building/Facility

Backup/Reference

n=765

65%

16%

8%

6%

2%Library Resources & Services

Access to resources

Research help

General reference question

Resource instruction

Liaison services

Misc services

Misc resources

Classes/workshops

Library collections

The Details – Backup/Reference

n=551

Immediate Changes @ THL

• School of Information students and some backup staff trained on circulation skills.

• Selected non-SI students trained to provide basic reference assistance for ejournal access issues, citation verification, and basic PubMed/CINAHL searches.

• Liaisons Librarians delegate all circulation questions and most ejournal access questions.

• Librarians handle the most difficult reference questions.

Library-Wide Changes

Changes to types of

data collected

A A major building renovation

Institutional Changes

Points to ConsiderDifficult to separate the question from the cause of the question (i.e., what is the question really about?)

Theoretically, access is easier with so much online but …. people still need help with HOW to access ebooks, ejournals, etc. These are not easy transactions.

Ongoing reluctance/resistance to enter statistics (librarians) and record details on questions (staff/students).

There’s a lot of data.

Nadia J. Lalla, MLISCoordinator, Collections & Information ServicesTaubman Health Sciences LibraryThe University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MInadiamar@umich.edu

Contact Information

Deborah Lauseng, AMLSCoordinator, Liaison ServicesTaubman Health Sciences LibraryThe University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MIdlauseng@umich.edu

Erin Kerby, MSIVeterinary Medicine LibrarianVeterinary Medicine LibraryThe University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignekerb@illinois.edu