Keepin ’ Track

1. Keepin’ Track a look at statistics-keeping methods at ULM presented by Megan Lowe, Reference Librarian, ULM Karen Niemla, Reference Library, ULM

2. Session Overview • A Brief History of ULM Library • ULM Library Today • Statistics-Keeping, 1960s – 2008 • The Change, 2009 • The Committee • The Method • The Technical Stuff • Q & A STATS

3. ULM Library A Brief History Bry Hall, 1939

4. Origins • The University of Louisiana at Monroe – formerly Ouachita Parish Junior College, Northeast Center of Louisiana State University, Northeast Louisiana State College, and Northeast Louisiana University – has had four libraries since being established in 1931 • The Library has gone through four buildings: Brown Hall, Bry Hall, Sandel Library, and the current 7-story building known as the University Library

5. Brown HallOuachita Parish Junior College

6. Brown Hall • First building (and for a while, the only) on the campus • Housed classrooms, administrative offices, and student activities, in addition to the Library • The first librarian was Mary Elizabeth Eason; a second librarian, Mary Clay, started in 1933 • The initial collection was composed of five hundred books and fifteen periodical subscriptions • The Library’s hours were 8:15 am to 4:15pm

7. Bry Hall Northeast Center of Louisiana State University

8. Bry Hall • Bry Hall was specifically built to house the Library; it opened its doors in 1939 • By then, in 1934, the Library had acquired a new librarian, Sue Hefley; she left in 1940 and was replaced by Mary Clay • In 1948 the Library became a member of the newly formed Louisiana State Documents Depository Program, at that time only one of two programs in existence (California was first) • There were classrooms on the second floor

9. Bry Hall A side note on Ms. Hefley: she got rid of the practice of charging fines for overdue materials in 1938, stating: The library believes that students should return books because it is the thing to do, not because they will have to pay a fine if the book is not returned. This is a new idea in library training. It is good training for life to do a thing because it should be done, not because one will be punished if it is not done. (Pow Wow, February 11, 1938) This “new idea in library training” did not endure, and fines were reinstated in 1956.

10. Sandel Hall

11. Sandel Library • Opened its doors in the spring of 1963; Bry Hall was renovated for the use of other departments – it’s now houses the art department and Bry Gallery • Named for Percy Sandel, Sr., a District Attorney who became Judge of the Fourth Judicial District and was significant in the establishment of a junior college in Monroe • In 1977 the addition of a third floor to the two-story building was completed • Now houses the campus bookstore, Admissions, and the Museum of Natural History

12. University Library Today

13. University Library • Opened its doors on April 12, 1999 • 7 floors • The Library is housed on floors 1-5 • Campus Administration – the President, Provost, and Vice Presidents – are housed on the 6th floor • 7th floor is a conference center • The building is divided into two sides: the library side (floors 1-5) and the other side (floors 6-7) • Has a working belltower with five cast bronze bells and three clock faces

14. University Library • Computer lab with 100+ computers + 2 printers • 7 classrooms added in 2004 • The current reference staff is composed of four full-time librarians; several other faculty also man the desk at least once a day; in some cases once a week • ILL Librarian • Coordinator of Technical Services • Collection Development Librarian • Assistant Dean • LA Delta CC Librarian

15. Statistics-Keeping 1960s - 2008

16. Statistics, 1960s

17. Details & Changes • This is about as far back as the stats go that we’ve been able to find – there might be one set for 1962-1963 • During this time period reference was decentralized – there were first two and then three desks covering Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences • Categories of questions include General and Research • We’ve been unable to find the day-to-day method of keeping track – just the composite totals by month • There are composite totals up through 1969 • The only change in stats was moving from 2 desks to 3

18. Statistics, 1970s

19. Statistics, 1970s

20. Statistics, 1970s

21. Details & Changes • Decentralized reference continued into the 1970s with three desks, Humanities, Social Sciences, & Sciences - at least, according to the stats up and through June 1972 • Statistics for 1973, 1974, and 1975 are sketchy and sporadic at best, and don’t exist for 1976-1978 • The composite total stats sheets remain similar to the 1960s though gridlines are present • We were able to find at least one set of individual tracking sheets with hash marks • Otherwise, it’s difficult to discuss stats in the 1970s

22. Statistics, 1980s

23. Statistics, 1980s

24. Statistics, 1980s

25. Details & Changes • Stats in the 1980s were pretty consistent – composite totals exist for the entirety of the decade • By this time for sure reference had become centralized • New categories for questions emerged: Directional, Reference General, and Reference Research • Statistics related to searches began to appear in the 1980s, including stats for Dialog, BRS, and SDC • Additionally, the cost of these searches was also calculated and added to stats tracking • We even have some daily tracking sheets for parts of the 80s! There were a lot of changes in the 80s!

26. Statistics, 1990s

27. Statistics, 1990s

28. Statistics, 1990s

29. Statistics, 1990s

30. Statistics, 1990s

31. Statistics, 1990s

32. Statistics, 1990s

33. Statistics, 1990s

34. Details & Changes • Daily stat sheets are in abundance. Monthly composite sheets appeared with more regularity; they included stats on questions, bibliographic instruction, reference items shelved, and searches in databases • Collection and usage statistics were also found, as well as a Notis problem log, a log for SOLAR searches, and a sign-in sheet for Netscape access (time limits) • The items shelved stats continue to appear throughout the mid-1990s but disappear around the time the current library opened

35. Details & Changes • Question categories were changed and expanded: • Directional • Basic Reference • Extended Reference • Hardware • Stats for the databases started out regularly kept but dwindled – perhaps because of the availability of that kind of tracking by individual sites • The 1990s saw a lot of changes!

36. Statistics, 2000 - 2008 Still using the same stats gathering sheet adapted in 1996, and the same cumulative stats sheet from 1993.

37. Details & Changes • By the 2000s, “items shelved” disappeared • The tracking of hardware problems, which began in the 1990s, continued along with the addition of software problem tracking; later the two categories were collapsed together • For a brief period, a new category was added – Email Reference – but it didn’t last long • The daily sheets also continued, with monthly composite sheets • The tracking of database statistics completely disappeared from the monthly composites

38. The Change, 2009

47. eliminate hardware-software questions and email categories • record department and # of pupils • Excel