Some items are only available on campus or will require authentication via EUID and Password at the point of use.
This data dictionary includes guidelines and standards for using Reference Analytics as well as definitions for each field and its options.
Definitions include those used and adapted from the following sources:
Previous years:
Contact a LibAnswers Admin using the LibApps team if you have questions about using Reference Analytics.
Information Services to Individuals and Information Services to Groups are counted to answer questions in the IPEDS Academic Library survey for ACRL annual reports and UNT Fact Book. The survey instructions define information services broadly as:
Information Services to Individuals
Information contacts that involve the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction in the use of one or more resources by a member of the library staff.
Information Services to Groups
Information contacts planned in advance in which a staff member, or a person invited by a staff member, provides information intended for a number of persons.
Services to individuals may occur in the library, or by virtual means; they may be transactional, or require consultation; they may occur spontaneously, or be planned in advance. Information services to individuals are provided in the library by student assistants, graduate services assistants, staff, and librarians. The context and method of these interactions is varied within academic libraries, so ACRL provides additional guidance that we use to analyze Ref Analytics data.
Reference Transactions
Any information contact that involves the knowledge and use of library resources and is conducted in a transactional form of communication such as question and answer.
Consultations
Any information contact that involves the knowledge and use of library resources and requires the preparation, experience, or expertise of library staff. Consultations may be planned in advance as appointments, or they may occur when a transaction is extended due to a referral, a follow-up interaction for in-depth question(s), or an advanced service need. Consultations may be for one individual or a small group, however these are different than instruction sessions and other services for groups.
Virtual Reference
Any transaction or consultation that takes place by email, webform, chat, and other messaging or network-based mediums. These are counted separately from in-person and phone information services.
Information Services to Groups
Information service to groups includes information literacy instruction as well as cultural, recreational, or other educational presentations. Presentations both on and off the library premises are included as long as the library sponsors them. Meetings sponsored by other groups using library meeting rooms are not included. [NISO 39.7-2013, section 7.8.3]
Presentations
Information contacts that are planned in advance in which a staff member, or a person invited by a staff member, provides information intended for a number of persons. Information services to groups includes information literacy instruction as well as cultural, recreational, or other educational presentations, e.g., library tours, workshops facilitated by library staff, and presentations or lectures given by experts invited by library staff. Presentations both on and off the library premises are included if the library sponsors them. [NISO Z39.7-2013, 7.8.3]
Point-of-use technology training - Help offered in the use of information technology or resources obtainable using information technology in unstructured sessions at the impromptu request of users. [NISO Z39.7-2013, 7.8.4]
User training - Training programs set up with a specified lesson plan that aims at specific learning outcomes for the use of library services. Includes tours, library instruction, and web-based services for users. [NISO Z39.7-2013, 7.8.5]
Resources
Information services to individuals involve the use of library resources. Resources include but are not limited to, printed, online, and non-printed materials, e-resources and databases. A library's resources also refer to its catalog and holdings records, as well as the records of other libraries and digital libraries. Resources are not only materials and records, the equipment or software that may be used for digital or academic projects, and persons both inside and outside the library are also considered resources. [NISO Z39.7-2013, section 7.3]
Exclusions
Not all information contacts are considered Information Services to Individuals. Directional and technical questions that do not involve library resources may be recorded but not counted for the purposes of the survey. Here are some examples of interactions we record, but do not count: