[Genealib] How Do You count Your Monthly Statistics?

[Larry Naukam]

What we do here is count everything. Walk-ins, phone calls, emails, letters,
etc. If we have to use 6 items to answer an email, that's one email but 6
lines are used on the question/call sheet. Now, the practice in our division
is to write down what the question was and what was used to answer it. In 30
years I have never seen a report or something used for collection
development. Business and government is also very busy - and they just make
tick marks (IIII and a /, to total 5) with no record of what specifically
they have answered.

 

Besides, the microfilm department is separated from local history by an
entire floor and is on the other end of the building. Our Life Records items
are filled by them, and the money collected elsewhere, but if the request
comes in to us we do them. (The process is convoluted and needs to be
regularized). But the main thing is we count everything and all its parts -
email asking for 4 obits is one email, 4 questions. When it gets really busy
and we have all three of us out front getting things for patrons, we do what
is called "AKOS" - all kinds of stuff, and give it our best estimate. Why?
Because "ambush reference" is a fact of life and since no one but me ever
looks at the stats (and I am thinking of my predecessors going back 30
years) we concentrate on giving good service and creating good reference
tools, and relating well to the commi8nty we swerve. 

 

Trust me, when a budget cut hits, then management staff can give as many
stats as they want but the cuts are never reversed. In the last 5 years my
positions in Acquisitions/Government Docs, and Bookmobile we cut, ad that
was that. Even a big article in the NY Times when the bookmobile was taken
off the road after 30 years had no effect. It wasn't easy saying goodbye to
the little kids and watching the seniors in the nursing homes cry because we
were going. Where this relates to genealogy and local history is that you
have to take intrinsic satisfaction; keep track of what you do; but not get
overly anal about it.

 

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