LIBRARY REFERENCE TRACKER SOFTWARE
The annual report software gives you three options for "How collected" in a drop-down menu: Actual Count, Survey Week, or Rough Estimate. Why not just give a "Rough Estimate" for the Number of Reference Transactions in my annual report? How can a library keep track of questions?įor the purposes of the annual report, many libraries keep track of the number of reference questions for a typical week, and multiply that by 52 to get the number of reference questions answered in a year. The number of questions answered provides you with some information about how your library staff is spending their time.The data can also help provide documentation for including additional staffing in a budget request. Tracking reference questions can help you determine what level of staffing is needed at public service/reference desks at various times of the day.(Number of library visits, number of attendees at library offered programs, and number of uses of library computers are some others.) But there are many other good measures of what you do, and the number of reference transactions is one of these. Circulation is one of the most commonly used measures of public library use.There are other good reasons for keeping reference statistics in addition to reporting them in your annual report: Why keep track of reference and directional transactions? What is a directional transaction or question?Ī directional question is an information contact that does NOT involve the knowledge, use, recommendation, interpretation, or instruction in the use of any information sources. "I have to write a report on worms for my science class." "I'm looking for information on resumé writing." "Do you have the book Bleak House by Charles Dickens?" The Annual Report asks you to report only reference, not directional, transactions. More information on Reference Transactions can be found here (page 14-15) Count Readers Advisory questions as reference transactions. Instructions for the Wisconsin Public Library Annual Report states that "Reference Transactions are information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others meet particular information needs.Ī reference transaction includes information and referral service as well as unscheduled individual instruction and assistance in using information sources (including web sites and computer-assisted instruction). What is a reference transaction or question?
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