Waggoner Library Statistics

Figure A: Type of Query

Informational questions were the highest type of question asked (41.9%), followed by general research questions (34.7%) and then research questions posed by doctoral students (17.3%). The least popular type of query asked was technology-related (6%), which makes sense because the IT HelpDesk now answers those questions in the library.

Figure B: Day of the Week 

The library is open 7 days a week; Each day of the week has questions asked of librarians. Mondays were the most popular day to reach out to a librarian (24.4%), while Saturday was the least popular day (6.4%).

Figure C: Day and Time of Day 

Users asked questions during all hours the library was open. Interestingly, librarians also responded to questions outside of library hours. The busiest time of day for queries fell between 10 AM to 2 PM. The least activity was between 10 PM to 12 Midnight. 

Spring Reference Queries by Day and Time of Day

Figure D: Location of Query Responses

These statistics indicate the variety of workstations from which; the librarians and staff responded to questions. Information Desk student workers also answer simple queries, the informational type which accounts for the greatest number of queries responded to from the Circulation Desk location. At the time of this data collection, librarians were able to have some time working from home, which was the second-highest location for responding to queries, followed by the librarian's office. The least active location was 'another area of a library.' Think of a librarian being asked a question as they walk through the library space.

Figure E: Method of Communication

Finally, this is a look at the various methods library staff used to receive and respond to questions. 30% of queries were asked in person; the bulk of that percent can be attributed to the library's student workers responding to informational questions while staffing the Information Desk. Not far behind, asking questions by eMail generated 26.2% of the total queries. Phone calls contributed 19.2%, closely followed by 18.2% that were asked via the library text chat service. The video chat option, which is designed for more in-depth research help, was the least popular method of contacting a librarian (6%).