[WEB4LIB] Re: Library Web Page Use

[Masters, Gary E]

Greetings:

Well, I have been in academic libraries for several years now, and may be
able to give my take on why collect this information.

It used to be that space was the currency of academic life.  It still may be
a currency, but with web activity that can be translated as web space.  When
I was at A&M in Laredo, knowing (and proving to the administration) that
most of the web activity went to the library page could have (1) let us have
an independent machine for the library page (2) perhaps a direct line out to
the web and (3) more staff to run the server.  As it was, the web server for
the University was getting overloaded.  

After more thought, we might have gone for more goodies.

I just heard that they are getting two servers now at the library at TAMIU,
one for the web page.  So things do improve with time - just not all of
them.

Does that help, or is it so obvious that it goes without saying?

Gary


Gary E. Masters
Librarian (Systems)
CDRH - FDA
(301) 827-6893 

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Daniel Messer [SMTP:dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us]
	Sent:	Thursday, December 06, 2001 10:30 AM
	To:	Multiple recipients of list
	Subject:	[WEB4LIB] Re: Library Web Page Use

	    If there's one thing I learned while working in an academic
library it's that academic libraries really dig on statistics no matter how
meaningless they may seem to anybody else. :) I was told
	that, when it doubt, count it out. In other words, the supervisor
type folks wanted me to pretty much count and note anything that could be
counted and noted.
	    Now I'm not trying to put down any academic librarians,
especially Mr. Hippenhammer. I'm just saying I know the nature of the beast
and it seems like web page hits vs the rest of the college would
	be something that ANY academic library would be interested in.
However, I also do not claim to know everything about academic libraries,
after all I worked for one for only a year. So like my esteemed
	colleague with the same first name as I, I'm wondering why these
stats are needed. Heck, it might be useful, I just don't know!

	Happy Holidays to all!
	Dan

	Dan Lester wrote:

	> This could be interesting for bragging rights, but other than
that,
	> what does it matter who gets the most?  I'd expect the library to
get
	> more hits than departments, unless the departments' pages include
	> course content via Blackboard or some other similar system, or
unless
	> the departmental sites include lots of student-owned pages.

	--
	Mondai wa
	The subject in question...
	-------
	Daniel Messer, Technology Instructor
	Yakima Valley Regional Library
	102 N 3rd St Yakima, WA 98901
	(509) 452-8541 x712
	dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
	-------
	When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
	                     -Hunter S. Thompson