NISO Z39.7-201X, Information Services and Use: Metrics & statistics for libraries and information providers - Data Dictionary
Draft for Trial Use. A proposed revision to the 2004 edition of the standard.
7 Services
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.1 Gate Count
The total number of persons who physically enter the library. The total number includes persons who visit in groups and persons who visit for library-sponsored programs. A person may be counted more than once. Counting may be done either upon entrance or upon exit.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.2 Hours Open
Number of hours when the main services are available to users during a normal week. Note: Main services are primary services as defined by the library.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.2.1 Hours Open in Branch Libraries
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.2.2 Hours Open in Main/Central Library
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.3 Information Requests Emetrics
An information contact that involves the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction in the use of one or more information sources by a member of the library staff. The term includes information and referral service.
Information sources include:
- Printed and nonprinted materials.
- Machine-readable databases (including computer-assisted instruction).
- The library's own catalogs and other holdings records.
- Other libraries and institutions through communication or referral.
- Persons both inside and outside the library.
When a staff member uses information gained from previous use of information sources to answer a question, the request is reported as an information request even if the source is not consulted again. (Also known as Reference Transaction). Note: It is essential that libraries do not include directional transactions in the report of reference transactions. A directional transaction is an information contact that does not involve knowledge, use, recommendation, interpretation, or instruction in the use of any information sources other than those that describe the library, such as schedules, floor plans, handbooks, and policy statements. Examples of directional transactions include giving instruction for locating, within the library, staff, library users, or physical features, and giving assistance of a non-bibliographical nature with machines.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.3.1 Virtual Reference Transactions Emetrics
Virtual reference transactions conducted via e-mail, website, or other network-based medium designed to support virtual reference. (ARL E-metrics; Bertot, McClure, Ryan). Note: Includes questions either received or responded to.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.4 Library Events/Programs
Events organized by the library. Number of exhibitions and number of events (including virtual events) typically with a literary or cultural intent.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.4.1 Attendance at Library Events
Total number of attendance at events as to type of events: exhibitions and other events; and as to types of users: children and adults.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.5 Library User
The library user is an individual accessing library materials and services from a variety of access points. Libraries may classify users in different ways, including but not limited to active borrower, registered library user, or eligible user. To adequately describe library user, a distinction must be made between the library user status and eligibility to access or borrow from a library collection from inside or outside the physical premises of the library. The method of authenticating the status or eligibility of a library user is the responsibility of the individual library.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.6 Loans and Document Delivery Emetrics
Direct lending or delivery transaction of an item in non-electronic form (e.g., book), of an electronic document on a physical carrier (e.g., CD-ROM) or other device (e.g., eBook reader), or transmission of an electronic document to one user for a limited time period (e.g., eBook). Note 1: Loans include user-initiated renewals as well as registered loans within the library (on-site loans). Renewals should be counted separately. Note 2: Loans include copied documents supplied in place of original documents (including FAX) and print-outs of electronic documents made by library staff for the user. Note 3: loans of documents in physical form to distance users are included here. Note 4: Mediated electronic transmission of documents is counted as electronic document delivery if their use is permitted for unlimited time. This includes transmissions to members of the population to be served.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.6.1 Electronic Document Delivery Emetrics
Electronic transmission of a document or part of a document from the library collection to a user, mediated by library staff, not necessarily via another library. Note 1. Electronic transmission of documents to members of the population to be served is included. FAX transmission is excluded. Note 2: May be split up as to transmission with or without charge to the user.
Please refer to 7.7.1: Use, Electronic Collections for further information.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.6.2 External Document Supply Emetrics
Document or part of it in print or electronic form delivered from outside the library collection by non-library suppliers (not through interlibrary lending) with the library being involved in the transaction and/or the payment. Note 1: It is irrelevant whether a number of individual transactions are paid per view or a certain number of transactions have been prepaid. Note 2: Please see 7.8.1: Use, Electronic Collections.
Source: vendor
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.6.3 Interlibrary Loan
Loan of a document in its physical form or delivery of a document (or part of it) in copied form, from one library to another library not under the same administration. Note: Mediated transmission of documents in electronic form is counted as electronic document delivery.
See Section 7.6.2, Electronic Delivery.
- 7.6.3.1 Materials Obtained from Other Libraries
These are library materials, or copies of the materials, received by one library from another library upon request. The libraries involved in interlibrary loans are not under the same library administration. - 7.6.3.2 Materials Provided to Other Libraries
These are library materials, or copies of the materials, provided by one library to another upon request. The libraries involved in interlibrary loans are not under the same library administration.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.7 Use Emetrics
In order to know how far electronic library services enlarge the range of library services and increase their market penetration, it is important to know the provenance of each use. Three locations should be differentiated:
- Inside the library.
- Outside the library, but inside the institution or authority (population to be served).
- Outside the institution or authority (population to be served).
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.7.1 Electronic Collection Emetrics
- 7.7.1.1 Units/Records Examined
Content in the electronic collection that is delivered to a user. The sub-categories that follow provide for a detailed breakdown by type of content delivered (full-content unit, or descriptive record) and system delivering the content (Library Collection, Commercial Service or OPAC). See 7.6: Loans and Document Delivery.- 7.7.1.1.1 Commercial Services Descriptive Records Examined
Number of descriptive records concerning the library's commercial services delivered to a user. Determined by the record type appropriate to the resource, (e.g., abstract, archive, and index). Exclude OPAC or library collection descriptive records (i.e., library website services and collections). - 7.7.1.1.2 Commercial Services Full-Content Units Examined
Number of subscription service full-content units examined, downloaded, or otherwise supplied to user, to the extent that these are recordable and controlled by the server rather than the browser. (ICOLC Guidelines, December 2001). Note 1: Journal articles by journal title with ISSN and title listed. Note 2: eBooks by book title with ISBN and title listed. Note 3: Reference materials by content unit appropriate to the resource (e.g., dictionary definitions, encyclopedia articles, biographies, etc.). Note 4: Non-textual resources by file type as appropriate to resources (e.g., image, audio, video, etc.). (ICOLC Guidelines, December 2001) - 7.7.1.1.3 Library Collection Descriptive Records Examined
Number of descriptive records concerning the library's electronic collection delivered to a user. Determined by the record type appropriate to the resource, e.g., abstract, archive, and index. Exclude OPAC or commercial services (i.e., online databases). - 7.7.1.1.4 Library Collection Full-Content Units Examined
Number of full-content units from library electronic collection examined, downloaded, or otherwise supplied to a user. Exclude OPAC or commercial services (i.e., online databases). - 7.7.1.1.5 OPAC Descriptive Records Examined
Number of descriptive records from the library's online catalog delivered to a user. Exclude commercial services or library collection descriptive records (i.e., library website services and collections).
- 7.7.1.1.1 Commercial Services Descriptive Records Examined
- 7.7.1.2 Searches/Menu Selections (Queries)
A search is defined as intending to represent a unique intellectual inquiry whether conducted through a search form submitted to the server or through the use of menu selections (e.g., browsing a list of subjects.) - ARL Statistics Questionnaire
- 7.7.1.2.1 Commercial Services Searches (Queries)
A search is defined as intending to represent a unique intellectual inquiry. Typically a search is recorded every time a search request is submitted to the server. Limited to commercial services. Mistyped search strings do not represent unique intellectual inquiries. Include menu selection searches. Exclude spider/crawler searches. (ISO 2789, Annex A) - 7.7.1.2.2 Library Collection Searches (Queries)
A search is defined as intending to represent a unique intellectual inquiry. Typically a search is recorded every time a search request is submitted to the server. Limited to library electronic collection services. Include menu selection searches. Exclude spider/crawler searches. Excludes OPAC searches. (ISO 2789, Annex A) - 7.7.1.2.3 OPAC Searches (Queries)
A search is defined as intending to represent a unique intellectual inquiry. Typically a search is recorded every time a search request is submitted to the server. Limited to the library online catalog service. Include menu selection searches. Exclude spider/crawler searches. (ISO 2789, Annex A) - 7.7.1.3 Sessions
A session is defined as a successful request of an online service or library's online catalog. It is one cycle of user activities that typically starts when a user connects to the service or database and ends by terminating activity that is either explicit (by leaving the service through exit or log-out) or implicit (timeout due to user inactivity). - ARL Statistics Questionnaire
- 7.7.1.3.1 Commercial Services Sessions
A session is defined as a successful request of a commercial service (e.g., online database). It is one cycle of user activities that typically starts when a user connects to a database and ends by terminating activity in the database that is either explicit (by leaving the database through log-out or exit) or implicit (timeout due to user inactivity). (ISO 2789, Annex A, modified to exclude OPAC sessions). Note 1: For multiple databases compiling several individual databases further information should be provided as to the separate databases hosted. Note 2: In some cases, e.g. database use inside the library, several users one after the other might make use of the same workstation, and sessions could not be separated. In most systems, a session is cut off after a specified time of non-use, thus avoiding part of the problem. The average timeout setting would be 30 minutes. If another timeout period is used this should be reported. Browser or proxy caching will be likely to reduce the number of requests registered in logfiles. - 7.7.1.3.2 OPAC Sessions
A session is defined as a successful request of the library's online catalog. It is one cycle of user activities that typically starts when a user connects to the OPAC and ends by terminating activity in the OPAC that is either explicit (by leaving the database through log-out or exit) or implicit (timeout due to user inactivity). In some cases, such as OPAC use inside the library, several users one after the other might make use of the same workstation, and sessions could not be separated. In most systems, a session is cut off after a specified time of non-use, thus avoiding part of the problem. The average timeout setting would be 30 minutes. If another timeout period is used this should be reported. Browser or proxy caching will be likely to reduce the number of requests registered in logfiles. (ISO 2789, Annex A; modified to exclude commercial services). - 7.7.1.4 Rejected Sessions (Turnaways)
A rejected session (turnaway) is defined as an unsuccessful log-in to an electronic service by exceeding the simultaneous user limit. (ISO 2789, Annex A) Excludes failure of log-in because of wrong passwords. - 7.7.1.5 Virtual Visits
- ARL Statistics Questionnaire
A user's request of the library web site from outside the library premises regardless of the number of pages or items viewed. (ISO 2789, 3.3.25) Excludes web site visits from within the library. Note: This statistic is the equivalent of a session folibrary's website. As such, there is a need to exclude various counts (hits, downloads) by users during any given visit.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.7.2 In House Use
Documents taken by a user from open access stock for use on the premises.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type:
Aggregate: yes
7.7.3 Internet Access Emetrics
Internet access by a user from a workstation provided on the library premises or remotely. Note: This will usually be the period of time between a log-in and an implicit or explicit log-off from a library Internet portal, database or the OPAC.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.7.4 Number of Public Access Workstation Users Emetrics
Annual count of the number of users of all of the library's graphical public access workstations connected to the Internet computed from a one-week sample. (Branch Level Statistic)
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.8 User Orientation and Training Emetrics
Hours of user training undertaken by the library, either in orientation of collections, services and facilities or on the use of information sources. Hours of user training on electronic services undertaken by the library. Numbers of hours users have accessed web-based training services offered by the library.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.8.1 Attendance at User Training Emetrics
Number of attendees at user training sessions and number of attendees at user training lessons on electronic services.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, cooperative, network, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.8.2 Formal User Information Technology Training Emetrics
A count of the number of users instructed and the hours of instruction offered in the use of information technology or resources obtainable using information technology in structured sessions - either delivered in the library using a computer lab or other instructional setting or delivered electronically through online-based instruction. (Bertot, McClure, Davis).
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special
Aggregate: yes
7.8.3 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. Information service to groups may be either bibliographic instruction or library use presentations, or it may be cultural, recreational, or educational presentations. Story hours are included. 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.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.8.4 Point-of-Use Information Technology Training Emetrics
A count of the number of users instructed and the hours of instruction offered in the use of information technology or resources obtainable using information technology in unstructured sessions at the impromptu request of users.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
7.8.5 User Training
Training programs set up with a specified lesson plan which aims at specific learning outcomes for the use of library services. Note 1: User training can be offered as a tour of the library, as library instruction, or as a web-based service for users. Note 2: The duration of lessons is irrelevant.
Source: library
Applicability: international, local, national, state
Library Type: academic, public, school, special, state
Aggregate: yes
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