The library needs to track patron interactions for a number of reasons related to University accreditation, required annual statistics, and staffing planning (including how many student employees we are allowed to hire each year, and for which times).
To keep those stats, we use a program called LibInsights. LibInsights should be one of the tabs that automatically open in Chrome on all service desk computers.
Questions to log:
Any patron interaction you might have (including checking things in and out to people).
Why do I need to add "Start Date" and "End Date"?
If you are logging a question that just occurred, you can select "Now" for both fields. If you forgot to log a question from an hour ago, you can change the start date and end date times to reflect it.
Types of questions:
Directional - A directional question asks for information about how to get somewhere or do something. Examples: Where is the bookstore? How do I connect my laptop to the wireless printing? How do I check out a book? Where are course reserves?
Informational - An informational question asks for information about a topic. Examples: How do I use the online catalog? Can you help me find an article on the impact of climate change on the Arctic? Do you have any books on the history of racism?
Reference - Reference questions are questions that require the staff person or student employee to use their knowledge of the library's resources and their expertise in reference to find the answer. Examples: I'm looking for information on the history of the United Nations. Can you help me find five scholarly sources? Can you help me find the original source for a quote I found online. Can you help me find biographies of key players in the women's suffrage movement?
Research - A research question is a question that a study or project aims to answer. It is the focal point of what the student or faculty is researching and guides their search for answers. Examples: How does a diverse workplace impact job satisfaction? How can standardized tests improve education? What is the cause of increased violence among teens?
Note that you should NOT be answering research questions, but instead referring them to librarians.
Why is my name listed under “Who Answered”?
In case we need to follow up with you about the question. We also may use that information to check who is logging patron interactions and who might be forgetting to log them!
What if I can’t tell if a patron is a student, faculty, staff member, or other?
When do I need to fill out the “Optional Notes” field?
You do not need to fill out the “Optional Notes” field for questions unless you have extra time. The most important part is logging all questions to get accurate statistics. As long as the required fields (the ones with the red asterisks) are filled out, the form will save the info when you submit it.