Research Services
The library now uses a sophisticated reference analytics product that is produced by Springshare to track all significant transactions. Called LibAnswers, the system includes a ticketing/dashboard system for tracking inquires and a live chat function. This system us to track the back-and-forth nuances of customer service questions with greater precision and provides data on who is asking questions, where they are located, when the question is asked (time of day, day of week), who responds, what "type" of question is asked, and how long it takes us to respond. This quarter there were 595 transactions across all departments. Of those, 140 were "reference questions" and 104 of those came from VDOT personnel, while 36 were from Virginia residents, other libraries, or other “unaffiliated” customers.
