Reference transactions in academic libraries have been on the decline since mid-1990. The Academic Library Survey from the National Center for Education Statistics shows an average drop of 25% in reference use from 1996-2004 with higher numbers at some institutions such as the University of Maryland which plummeted 47% (Martell, 2008). The…

The Mississippi State University Libraries' Virtual Reference Service collected statistics about virtual reference usage. Analysis of the data collected by an entry survey from chat and e-mail transactions provided librarians with concrete information about what patron groups were the highest and lowest users of virtual reference services. These…

When looking for ways to improve library services, we considered what data sources were readily available to us and how we could harvest and use this data. We investigated three years of chat reference statistics at Central Michigan University, a large research institution, to gain a better understanding of our patrons' chat behavior. We then…

The contributions in this volume represent a decade of OCLC's user behavior research findings that articulate the need for the design of future library services to be all about the user. Highlights include: (1) People associate the library with books and do not consider the library in relation to online resources or reference services; (2) People…

Academic libraries have traditionally collected reference statistics using hash marks on paper. Although efficient and simple, this method is not an effective way to capture the complexity of reference transactions. Several electronic tools are now available to assist libraries with collecting often elusive reference data--among them homegrown…

The author's focus for this column within the large universe of the public services literature is on articles which stress what is best for the user. That may mean finding out why faculty use or do not use the physical library, considering the elimination of the reference desk, beginning or enhancing a library's virtual reference services, or…

What types of information sources do masters and doctoral (M and D) students at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) use most, how do the patterns of use differ across subject disciplines and faculties, and to what extent does the Library and Information Services (LIS) keep or provide access to the journals that are mostly used by M and D…

In 1973, the Technological Institute Library, along with the other science libraries of Northwestern University, began a study of reference use. For each reference request received in the libraries, the date, time, duration, mode, class of question, and user type were noted. These statistics were tabulated and analyzed by computer. It was…

A summary and four papers from a symposium, held at the 1974 American Library Association Conference, dealing with the feasibility and desirability of measuring reference service. (PF)

Summarizes a 1984 survey of four presidential libraries which identified patterns of behavior within groups of researchers. Data were collected on user's academic, professional, or private affiliation; topics of study; advance preparation; and previous archival research. Findings show users of presidential libraries place high value on personal…

Reviews research and writing on reference services in archives. Topics discussed include user studies of archives; the accuracy and efficiency of archival reference; the impact of technology on research in archives; interaction between researchers and reference archivists; and research needs in archival reference. (48 references) (LRW)

Maher advocates analysis of archival use, outlines methodologies for such analyses, and provides examples of results of two kinds of user studies. Turnbaugh advocates broadening the context of user studies in government archives to include all areas of activity so that the institution is embedded in the processes of government. (EM)

This reference use survey conducted by the Reference Committee of the Southern Connecticut Council in 1972 was undertaken to determine the present pattern of reference use and to assist in future planning. Some of the characteristics of the 18 public libraries participating in the survey include a media per capita expenditure of $4.65 in 1971, a…

Summarizes a study of the use of reference service at Sterling Memorial Library, the central research library of Yale University. (PF)

A sample of library-output statistics measuring circulation, reference, and in-library use was collected from 76 libraries and tested for redundancy, correlation, and variation using time-series analysis to test the Relative Fidelity of Measurement Model (RFM). The 275 sample statistics correlated in an unpredicted pattern. Twenty-three sources…