[WEB4LIB] Virtual Visits to Your Library Web Site

[Mark Ellis]

Missy,

MS Site Server, which we use for log analysis, defines a visit as:

"A series of consecutive requests from a user to an Internet site. ...if a
user does not make a request after a specified time period, the previous
series of requests is considered to be a completed visit."

In our case the "specified time period" is 30 minutes.  Site Server uses
cookies to distinguish individual users.

I assume Dr. McClure is using the term "virtual visits" in order to compare
web visits to  "real" library visits. (e.g. gate counts)  I don't see how a
web visit could be anything other than virtual.
 

Mark Ellis
Manager, Reference and Information Services
Richmond Public Library  
Richmond, B.C.                      
(604) 231-6410
www.yourlibrary.ca



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Melissa Harvey [mailto:harvey at andrew.cmu.edu]
> Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 1:05 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] Virtual Visits to Your Library Web Site
> 
> 
> Our library is now counting virtual visits to our library Web site.
> These "virtual visits" are discussed by such people as Dr. Charles
> McClure.
> 
> We would like to ask the following question of other libraries:
> 
> Do you track (count) "virtual visits" to your library web 
> site and, if so,
> how do you define a "virtual visit"?
> 
> 
> Missy Harvey
> Computer Science Librarian
> Engineering & Science Library
> Carnegie Mellon University
> Pittsburgh, PA  15213
>