[Web4lib] ...Tracking... reference desk enquiries/transactions

Wed Aug 20 19:29:41 EDT 2008

We rolled out a modified version of LibStats on our web site.

“Libstats provides a simple way for library reference desks to track statistics on the number of questions asked, as well as build a simple knowledge base.”

http://code.google.com/p/libstats/

We have been using this internally for a few years, and now have built a public interface for it where users can ask questions via the web, librarians and others can answer questions, and users get alerted by email for new answers. (A lot like Yahoo Answers.) http://library.villanova.edu/Help/Answers

Not all of the tracking functionality you are looking for, but this is how we are opening up our reference transaction knowledgebase.

--chris

________________________________________
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of KLINGLER, THOMAS [tk at kent.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 6:13 PM
To: David Whelan; web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Web4lib] ...Tracking...  reference desk   enquiries/transactions

Shameless plug for a friend in whose rock-solid stuff I have no material interest:

http://sitescripter.com/

Tom Klingler
Assistant Dean for Systems & Technical Services
Libraries & Media Services
Library Room 383
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio 44242-0001

> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of David Whelan
> Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:24 AM
> To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] ...Tracking... reference desk
> enquiries/transactions
>
> Craighton offers a lot of good suggestions.  I've only ever
> seen reference tracking done from the perspective of either
> internal tracking or for the purposes of creating a FAQ
> resource based on the questions/answers, but not linked to an
> individual account.
>
> Another solution which comes to mind would be to use
> something like a help desk ticket tracking system, where
> reference requests are treated like help desk requests.  Many
> of those have a remote component, enabling an IT customer to
> see when their ticket is closed.  There seems to have been a
> lot of Web4lib discussion a few years back on help desk
> systems.  Has anyone used a system like that for reference?
>
> David.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> David P. Whelan, J.D., M.L.S.
> Manager, Legal Information
> Law Society of Upper Canada
> 130 Queen Street West,
> Toronto, Ontario  M5H 2N6
> tel: 416.947.3438    fax:  416.367.2635
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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> "Craighton Hippenhammer" <CHHammer at olivet.edu> Sent by:
> web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> 2008-08-19 06:11 PM
>
> To
> <don.saklad at gmail.com>, <web4lib at webjunction.org> cc
>
> Subject
> Re: [Web4lib] ...Tracking...  reference desk    enquiries/transactions
>
>
>
>
> Normally, tracking reference queries and circulation and
> reserve transactions are librarian functions, not library
> patron activities.
> Integrated Library Systems usually take care of the last two
> and reference queries can be tracked in commonly available
> databases like Microsoft Access.  I'm not aware of software
> that would track library visits and reference desk
> transactions as such -- I'd recommend MS Access for that.
> Reference IM communications could be saved, I suppose, but
> would have to saved into some organizing software or card
> system.  Home book cataloging/library management software
> like collectorz.com, Readerware (
> http://www.sorice.com/rwbooks.html), Book Librarian Plus (
> http://turbosystems.com/blw31.htm), and librarything.com
> could take care of part of what is being asked but would have
> problems with tracking reference interviews and what wasn't found.
>
> Social Web 2.0 book sharing web sites like www.shelfari.com,
> http://reader2.com/, and http://www.gurulib.com/ are not
> probably what is wanted either as they are likely to be too
> public and too limited.
> Bibliographic software like http://www.biblioscape.com/ and
> http://www.endnote.com/ can help with tracking research
> citations, whether the actual materials have been found or
> not, but are not likely to help much in situations where no
> response has been returned and/or citations have not been
> found.  Perhaps PIM or PDA software that has tickler
> functionality would be more helpful for those purposes.
>
> Craighton Hippenhammer
> Information Technology Librarian
> Olivet Nazarene University
> Bourbonnais, IL 60914
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