Capturing Every Patron Interaction: The Move from Paper Statistics to an Electronic System to Track the Whole Library

Reference departments track patron interactions to illustrate the type and number of services provided as well as to tailor librarians’ time and expertise to the interest and needs of their patrons. Until 2010 the Reference, Education, and Community Engagement Department at the Calder Memorial Library tracked statistics using a complicated system of paper tic sheets and two Excel? spreadsheets. After considering different electronic systems, the department decided to employ an electronic form created with SurveyMonkey? to track patron interactions. After the system had been in place for three months, the authors administered a satisfaction and use survey to collect faculty and staff feedback on the new system. Seven months later the authors undertook usability testing to collect further evaluative data on the electronic form. The patron interaction form continues to be used to collect statistics, provide data for annual reviews, and recognize the contributions of all faculty and staff at the library.     

Electronic Reserve and the Integrated Library System: From Installation to the Future

The libraries at the University of Toledo manage electronic reserve via Innovative Interfaces product Media Management. This article explores the reasoning behind selecting this software and examines the challenges of installation, maintenance, responding to patron access problems, and providing faculty support. Providing quality service with a small staff is also addressed.     

Measuring the quality of reference services provided by paraprofessionals at an academic library

The goals of this research study are: 1) to investigate the level of complexity of chat reference questions; 2) to measure the performance of paraprofessional reference staff based on answer correctness and patron interactions; and 3) to use this data to assess the overall effectiveness of the triage reference-services model currently used by all three campus libraries of MCPHS University. A team of five reference librarians conducted a retrospective two-year evaluation of live-chat reference transactions. The questions' complexity was evaluated using the Reference Effort Assessment Data (READ) scale, while the answer correctness and patron interactions were scored using a rubric. The study provides data in support of the triage reference-services model and evidence that, with proper training, paraprofessional reference assistants can offer high-quality reference services for academic libraries' patrons.     

The Difficult Patron in the Academic Library

Summary

Faculty members depend on the resources and services provided by the libraries to teach, satisfy the curricular needs of the students, and conduct their research. Students need the library for many reasons, among which are to complete their assignments and to expand on what faculty covers in class. The patron/librarian relationship in the academic library is not always perfect. Issues which students and faculty face in the academic library environment are completely different from those in the public library. Identifying the characteristics of the difficult or problem patron in academia is a little more difficult than in the public library. Are what librarians face when dealing with faculty and students more issue-related than just dealing with problem patrons? The authors will identify, from the librarians' perspectives, some of these often called difficult patron issues and offer solutions to try and preempt these issues before they become problems.     

Untangling the jungle of e-journal access issues using CRM software

Librarians have been struggling for years with the variety of issues arising while troubleshooting access to electronic journals. This article outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using a Customer Relations Management (CRM) software, originally designed for a call center, to communicate with patrons and track access issues. Utilizing the e-mail software used by the Reference Department at the University of South Florida, we assign incidents, correspond with patrons and staff, write internal notes, maintain transactions, and pull statistics. Hopefully, library vendors will develop software oriented to the needs of libraries to assist in managing access problems for e-journals.     

基于Web Access Management实现图书馆电子资源远程访问

阐述如何利用WAM系统对读者进行身份认证以实现电子资源的校外远程访问，从而解决师生在校外能随时随地检索利用图书馆所订购的电子资源的问题，进而大大提高电子资源的利用率。     

High Res at High Speed: Automated Delivery of High-Resolution Images from Digital Library Collections

As primary source materials in the library are digitized and made available online, the focus of related library services is shifting to include new and innovative methods of digital delivery via social media, digital storytelling, and community-based and consortial image repositories. Most images on the Web are not of sufficient quality for most media outlets, so what happens when patrons require high-resolution versions of images for use in their print publications or projects? Until recently, patrons at the University of Houston Libraries used a clunky, paper-based request process for high-resolution images that was frustrating for them and time-consuming for staff. The authors of this article outline how an interdepartmental team of University of Houston Libraries staff used Drupal to develop an automated patron request system that is modeled after online shopping cart experiences and integrates with the CONTENTdm-based University of Houston Digital Library. The article provides suggestions for libraries with digital collections about how to create a system that efficiently captures patron requests and streamlines staff delivery of high-resolution files.     

An Automated Invoicing System for Online Interlibrary Loan Requests

ABSTRACT

As libraries come to rely more and more on interlibrary loan to meet the needs of their patrons in a climate of shrinking materials budgets, the accompanying bookkeeping may swamp an already overburdened staff. Complicating the issue is the fact that some institutions require that invoices cite each article and identify the patron for whom it was provided. To address this issue, the Library at the Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport developed a microcomputer-based system to generate the track invoices for journal article photocopies. The system, written in CLIPPER and Qbasic, captures complete citation and patron data from DOCLINE and OCLC without the need for keyboarding by the operator.     

Capturing Citation Activity in Three Health Sciences Departments: A Comparison Study of Scopus and Web of Science

Scopus and Web of Science are the two major citation databases that collect and disseminate bibliometric statistics about research articles, journals, institutions, and individual authors. Liaison librarians are now regularly called upon to utilize these databases to assist faculty in finding citation activity on their published works for tenure and promotion, grant applications, and more. But questions about the accuracy, scope, and coverage of these tools deserve closer scrutiny. Discrepancies in citation capture led to a systematic study on how Scopus and Web of Science compared in a real-life situation encountered by liaisons: comparing three different disciplines at a medical school and nursing program. How many articles would each database retrieve for each faculty member using the author-searching tools provided? How many cited references for each faculty member would each tool generate? Results demonstrated troubling differences in publication and citation activity capture between Scopus and Web of Science. Implications for librarians are discussed.     

E-book usage in an academic library: User attitudes and behaviors

This paper presents the results of a large scale survey designed to investigate usage patterns and library patron attitudes toward e-books. The survey reveals a university community's discovery and knowledge of e-books, their likes and dislikes about book content in electronic format as opposed to print, and their predictions of how they will use electronic and print book materials in the future. The survey shows that acceptance of e-books has reached a level where they have become an important library service. The results, based on a study conducted in collaboration with Springer, break down e-book awareness and attitudes into faculty, graduate student, and undergraduate student constituent groups. Additionally, statistics are presented to complement the survey results by showing that the usage of e-book content at the University of Illinois is increasing at a rapid pace.¹     

Interlibrary Loan Internet Accessible Database (ILLiad)

Abstract

One year after the implementation of the Interlibrary Loan Internet Accessible Database (ILLiad) software, a patron satisfaction Interlibrary Loan user service study was conducted at Ellender Memorial Library, Nicholls State University, by the Interlibrary Loan Librarian. A questionnaire with sixteen questions was distributed to faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students. The data received was entered into Microsoft Excel and converted into the SPSS system. Frequency tables were produced. The outcome of the user study was recorded in a PowerPoint presentation with slides of statistical data graphs. The ILLiad user study produced a high rating of the ILLiad system and confirms that sixty percent of the participants were faculty members who are committed to research and in need of accessing additional research resources for their writing, presenting and publishing of professional papers. Faculty and students have shown their gratitude to Interlibrary Loan Services, confirming the main purpose of interlibrary loans is for research and degree programs. Many institutions provide this privilege only for their faculty and graduate students. Ellender Memorial Library encourages undergraduate students who are striving for excellence in their studies to use Interlibrary Loan Services. It can be surmised that the ILLiad electronic and web-based services are more efficient, and that patrons are more computer literate than ever before and favor the new technology and advanced services in our institution.     

The journal deselection project: The LSUMC-S experience

Financial constraints, along with several other factors, prompted the library staff of the Louisiana State University Medical Center at Shreveport (LSUMC-S) to evaluate the journal collection through a comprehensive review project. Faculty members were involved throughout the process. After identifying those subject areas most relevant to their disciplines, faculty members received journal lists by subject to rate the titles in importance to their department's work. This subjective input from faculty was considered along with usage statistics and other objective data gathered by library staff. This combination of information assisted the library staff in making difficult decisions in a fair and logical manner.     

Monitoring patron use of CD-ROM databases using SignIn-Stat

SignIn-Stat, a PC-based, menu-driven program, collects information from users of the library's public access computer systems. It was used to collect patron use data for the library's four CD-ROM workstations for the period September 1987 to April 1988 and to survey users for the period December 1987 to March 1988. During the sample period, 5,909 CD-ROM uses were recorded. MEDLINE was the most heavily used database, followed by PsycLIT and Micromedex CCIS. Students accounted for 61% of the use, while faculty, residents, and staff were responsible for 31%. Graduate students had the highest rate of use per student. Nineteen percent of use was by patrons who had never used CD-ROMs before, while 37% was by patrons who had used CD-ROMs ten or more times. Residents were the least experienced user group, while graduate students and faculty were the most experienced.     

Books Effectively Censored: Discrimination at a University Library: Alumni the Target

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study performed on the interlibrary loan patron request records at the library of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, an urban commuter college with a specialized curriculum. The findings suggest that the increasing availability of electronic full-text resources has had a significant impact on the volume of faculty and graduate student interlibrary loan borrowing of nonreturnable, photocopied materials. This appears to be the case across disciplines and regardless of the currency of the needed materials. The downward trend in demand for these materials may be outpacing actual full-text availability. This may suggest that content is being replaced with convenience. This could have implications for reference librarians and their role in the research process. Declining demand may also provide interlibrary loan librarians and their staff opportunities to alter their services and develop new skills.     

Implementing the unthinkable: the demise of periodical check-in at the University of Nevada

Librarians generally assume that serial check-in is an essential function. The authors challenge this assumption, maintaining that the practice does not stand up to thoughtful scrutiny. The check-in process does make possible such practices as routine claiming, binding, and the tracking of title and frequency changes, but many of these ancillary functions do little to help library patrons gain access to journal content; the functions can be accomplished by other, less time-intensive means. The authors believe that in the vast majority of cases, staff time currently devoted to check-in could be much more effectively utilized and patrons better served if check-in were eliminated in favor of a much more abbreviated and pragmatic process. Librarians at the University of Nevada, Reno, have conducted a year-long experiment in eliminating serial check-in, and found that doing so enabled them to reallocate staff time in ways that significantly enhance patron access to serial content without any appreciable negative impact on patron access to print issues.     

Transitioning Online Reference Staffing Models: Assessing and Balancing Needs of Patrons and Practitioners

ABSTRACT

As staffing models evolve for academic library service points, online chat reference services require strategic analysis to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This paper will examine the perception of chat reference before and after staffing changes from faculty librarians, staff, and graduate assistants to non-MLIS library professionals and graduate assistants at Florida State University’s a large, public research university library. Our survey explores satisfaction levels and perception of both patrons and library personnel before and after the staffing change.

Our analysis of 197 patron survey results determined that patrons are equally satisfied with non-librarian provision of chat reference services and found chat interactions to be comparable in quality and timeliness to chats staffed by librarians. Our research into staffer survey results revealed a slight decrease in satisfaction with operation of the service, notably in terms of confidence after the staffing transition even though this was not reflected in the patron satisfaction levels. This assessment indicates that library workers are equally as competent in staffing chat reference services as librarians from patron perspectives. As academic libraries continue to measure the value of staffing service desks with librarians, this study will provide relevant insight into how patrons and staffers are affected by changes in staffing models.     

Patron Preferences: Recreational Reading in an Academic Library

In 2014, Sam Houston State University Library librarians distributed a survey to students, faculty and staff to better understand how the university community was using library materials for recreational reading. The survey found that patrons had preference for print materials with a growing interest in other formats. A significant number of respondents did not view the library as a source of recreational reading materials; those who did read across a broad swath of genres. Greater understanding of patron recreational reading preferences empower the library to expand the library collection to meet all patron demands.     

Not All Library Analytics are Created Equal: LibAnswers to the Rescue!

The reasons for implementing and the advantages of switching to the Reference Analytics system, a part of the Springshare LibAnswers platform, for collecting reference statistics at a three-campus university library are described. The benefits of using this web-based product are highlighted based on the comparison with the previously used analytical tools and the annual statistical data. Transitioning to Reference Analytics allowed librarians to take advantage of such features, as seamless access to reference transactions, easy customization, cross-tabulation, and data visualization, proving beneficial for overall library reference services.     

Access to Scholarly Literature

Journal circulation data from a research library is analyzed to test the theory that the availability of online periodical indexes improves access to journals and subsequently increases their usage. DBase software is used to analyze circulation statistics for faculty, doctoral students, professional staff, and visiting scholars.     

Ask a Penn State Librarian,Live

Summary

After a 22-week pilot study, Penn State launched a university-wide real-time virtual reference service in Fall 2002. The Penn State Virtual Reference Service (VRS) features chat, co-browsing, and authentication into licensed databases. VRS serves students, faculty, and staff at 21 residential and commuter campuses statewide, as well as students enrolled in World Campus distance learning courses. This paper presents an analysis of the users, questions, exit surveys, and a VRS librarian survey.