ERIC Number: EJ1066196
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0010-0870
EISSN: N/A
Where Do We Go from Here? Informing Academic Library Staffing through Reference Transaction Analysis
Bishop, Bradley Wade; Bartlett, Jennifer A.
College & Research Libraries, v74 n5 p489-500 Sep 2013
This study conducted a systematic sample of every 70th reference transaction from over a three-year period and analyzed 1,852 reference transactions asked at an academic library system's fifteen face-to-face (f2f) service points as well as via telephone, e-mail, and chat. Findings indicate two-thirds of the total questions asked were location-based questions about the library. Also, 80.2 percent of location-based questions and 77.2 percent of subject-based questions were asked f2f. Analysis of location-based reference questions informs effective deployment of librarians and staff at library service points as well as the development of mobile library apps.
Descriptors: Academic Libraries, Library Personnel, Reference Services, Library Services, Content Analysis, Library Administration, Computer Oriented Programs, Handheld Devices
Association of College and Research Libraries. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. e-mail: acrl@ala.org; Web site: http://crl.acrl.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kentucky
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A