# ? ? ? # Using Wordpress & Formidable Forms to Track Reference Desk Stats at Drew University Jennifer Heise,

Statistics by Sampling (pre-2011) Statistics taken only 2 weeks per semester Paper tally sheet Hand-typed into an Excel Spreadsheet Categories: – Directional – Technical – Holdings – Reference – Research Added counting of: Q&A NJ questions handled (2006-) Office consultations (2006-) Phone, , Meebo (2008-)

Pros & Cons Only 2 weeks/semester Easy to do What we had always done Hard to pick weeks Hard to remember to do it Hand entering sheets workload Didn’t compare with Oberlin Libraries Standard Word came from The Dean: Please … can you start collect reference statistics all the time?

How to do it? Hashmarks? Paper forms? ARGGH! Who would enter the data? – Who has time? – We have the technology-- an online form! Manipulating the Data – Staff can use Excel and SPSS Defining Our Categories

Belling the Cat[egories] Started from Warner (2001) Level I: Non-Resource based Level II: Skill-based Level III: Strategy based Level IV: Consultation Better count the Tech Questions! Put in between I & II Subcategories: Printing, Library, General! Defined & Tested on Librarians Created Form & Beta-tested

Herding categories (librarians) Proposed category definitions handed out Librarians each categorized the questions in a sample question set Compared ‘clustering’ of categorization Refined the definitions to limit ‘spread’ Put up online form and beta-tested Added definitions on online form!

Category clustering

Final Categories Non-resource based – Does not require a resource to answer, might be addressed by signage or help sheet. – Directional – Escorting to shelves, retrieving from shelves – Library policies and forms: Borrowing privileges, Special Collections Access, ILL/acq. Forms – REFERRALS Technology/hardware/software – Pop-up choices : Printing/Copying, Library Technology, General Skill-based: – May require a demonstration to answer – Simple reference, holdings – Citation formatting Strategy-based: – Formulation of a strategy and selection of resources is required. – Database selection – Simple database searching Consultation – 5 minutes+ – Research question focus – Larger search strategy – Multiple databases/resources identified

How the form works Created in Wordpress Via Wordpress add-on“Formidable Forms” Password-restricted – Reference Staff & Student Assistants Pre-fills staff name, date, time – Time can be adjusted One semester of data kept in Wordpress – Profile given by Formidable Forms – Nice charts Monthly Download to Excel spreadsheet – Use Filters to get totals

The New Form

From the Formidable Reports

Our Happy Ending Also use form to track “office consults” – Separate reporting page lists just these No tally sheets or hand-tallying! Easy to change/adjust form Convenient, Quick, Easy to use Nice charts for Administrative Powerpoint Future plans: – Use Excel/SPSS to analyze Usage by day/time slot Usage by category – Consider adjusting workflows – Use technology stats for persuasive purposes