1. Enhancing Library Users’ Experience with Web Analytics
Google Docs Motion Widget
Johan Oberg
Digital Scholarship and Services Librarian
Macalester College

2. Macalester College
Private liberal arts college
1,900 students
Founded in 1874
High standards for scholarship
DeWitt Wallace Library
Campus library at Macalester College
About 450,000 volumes
DigitalCommons (be press)
ContentDM
WorldCat Local customer
LibData for guides, etc

3. Overview Google Analytics on campus
Library started using Google Analytics in April, 2009
Used LibData since spring 2007
Tracking with Google Analytics
Visits to library’s web pages
Click statistics of website links
Tracking using LibData
Clicks on research databases
Course Guides
Research Guides
AZ List of research databases
Campus Portal
Search words on A-Z list
WorldCat web stats

4. Google Analytics, examples

6. “Provide exceptional virtual and physical spaces for learning”
So, what do we do with this information to improve the user experience?
Library’s mission:
“Provide exceptional virtual and physical spaces for learning”
“Educate and guide users in the research process.”

7. Provide easy access to resources.
Feed: Most used databases in the last 24 hours.
Compile stats – updated nightly using LibData stats
Re-use in different places on the website – homepage, AZ list, etc.

8. Let users create different views of resources.
Most clicked resources in our subject guides.
Done using LibData stats
Try different date ranges to pull data from

9. Learn from users Our AZ List features a search box.
Search title, alternative title, vendor, tag words, or description.
Capture the searches

10. Searches captured
Most recent or total numbers
Staff can look at searches

11. Adjust database descriptions
Add tags

12. Example of search result based on tag word
Common misspellings corrected when discovered

13. Don’t leave your user at a dead end
Users are offered alternatives in case a search returns empty
WorldCat option done by combining user input with a persistent link to WorldCat

14. Let users learn from each other.
Let users see and use what others are searching for…with some limits
PHP script processes the words captured earlier
PHP-based feed includes the 10 most searched for words
A click on a word in the feed re-generates the search

15. Experiment! Then evaluate.
Example: ‘Ad’ for research databases –
Featured on library homepage
Takes users to the AZ list of resources
Google Analytics : 931 ad clicks since October 15th
69.29% clicked on next pages after clicking on the ad

16. Google Analytics: Understand and improve service to users
Google Analytics measure: All tracked pages.
Fall semester: 1.56 Pages/visit
Spring semester, so far: 1.74 Pages/visit – in the right direction!
Caveat: Not ‘scientific’ – other factors not accounted for…

17. Example: Create discussions among staff
GA Bounce rate for the General Reference and the Audio categories on the AZ list consistently between 70%-90% since September 1, 2009
Encyclopedias and Disciplinary have a bounce rate of 30% or less.
Collection issue? Instruction issue? Web presentation issue?
What can we do to improve it?

18. Google Analytics: Browser stats
Inform design decisions.
Should we support older browsers?
At what rate should we encode streaming videos? What percentage of users have broadband?

19. Other Uses Future plans Google Spreadsheets widget: Motion graph
Understand use of library website in campus context
Understand use of library resources within the campus portal and the website
Future plans
Tag clouds
Tagging capability for all campus users
Google Analytics feeds on website
Google Spreadsheets widget: Motion graph
Combines LibData with a Google Spreadsheet widget
All Research Databases
A select few