University of Illinois Library
September 14, 2009
Options for Customizing Desk Tracker
Overview
Desk Tracker is a web-based data-collection utility developed and hosted by Compendium
Library Services (www.compendiumlib.com/). The University Library began using Desk
Tracker to collect Sweeps Week data during Fall 2008. Use was expanded to all units for the
Spring 2009 Sweeps, and will be used for Fall 2009 Sweeps data collection.
Data is entered specific to location & desk (a location can have multiple desks), user id (log
in required) and time. Data can be entered into three categories: Activity, Custom Data &
Gate Count (see “tabs” in the Desk Tracker interface below).
The Library can create fields under each of these 3 categories to permit the customization
for any desk/unit. Current options being used Library-wide are listed below (bold = default
options):
Activity
Gate Count
Gate Count 1
Gate Count 2
Gate Count 2
Security Gate
Head/Body Count
Head Count: Info Desk area
Head Count: Reference Room
Head Count: Gov Docs area
Room 106 (S-COLL): Laptop
Room 106 (S-COLL)
Room 104 (CURR): Laptop
Room 104 (CURR)
Room 112 (EDX): Laptop
Room 112 (EDX)
Room 100: Other
Room 100: Laptop
Room 100: Copiers
Room 100: Scanner
Room 100: Computers
Floor Carrel-Laptop
Floor Carrel-No Laptop
Wall Carrel-No Laptop
Wall Carrel-Laptop
Computer Room-Other
Computer Room-Bloomberg
Main Room-Other
Main Room-Laptop
Main Room-Bloomberg
Main Room-Public Terminals
In Person
IM/Chat
Email
Phone
OTRS
Description
Patron Type
Illiad
Custom Data
Technology Related Reference
Reshelving Current Periodicals
Reshelving Reference
Reshelving Bibliographies
Reshelving Serials
Reshelving Books
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University of Illinois Library
September 14, 2009
Custom Activity Applications
Reference, Research, and Government Information Service
The Central Reference team not only provides general reference services via IM, phone, and in-person
conversation but also works on outstanding issues involving materials ordered through the ILLiad
interface. The Central Reference’s Desk Tracker is customized with an additional dual-option category
for work done on Illinois’ interlibrary loan service so that the productivity of a particular staffer or time
slot can be properly analyzed.
A late-night shift which receives only a handful of reference inquiries might be unjustly represented by
the default Desk Tracker categories. With the customized ILLiad option, it is possible to see the valuable
contributions reference staff make to library operations even during slower time periods when foot traffic
is low and other mediums of communication are relatively quiet.
Information Processing
Similar to Central Reference’s ILLiad field, Information Processing has a field for any work
done with the OTRS tickets.
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University of Illinois Library
September 14, 2009
Education and Social Science Library
ESSL provides a box labeled “description” where the employee providing reference service can
put in an open-ended summary of their interaction with a patron. This function can provide
much-needed specification to an Activity which does not easily fall within one of the default
categories, such as a simple ready reference question which took more than 15 minutes due to
communicative difficulties rather than the complexity of the question.
Additionally, if the reference staff is consistent about collecting details in the description field
this may provide an additional source of assessment information. The text entered into the
comment box can be processed using a qualitative data analysis program such as Atlas.ti or
Nvivo. Many important trends can be identified using qualitative analysis which might be
impossible to spot from the simple five-tiered scale currently in place. LAWG hopes to provide
library-wide access to programs capable of advanced textual analysis within a year.
Several branches of the University Library use the description box, including the Biotechnology
and Information Center, the Undergraduate Library, Global Studies, and Modern Languages &
Linguistics.
Business and Economics Library
The Business and Economics Library
also uses a description box where the
reference worker can type in a textual
summary of their interaction. However,
BEL goes an extra step by also
providing a Patron Type field, which
delineates whether the patron is an
alumni, undergraduate, graduate
student, university employee, or
someone not officially affiliated with
the university in a meaningful manner.
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University of Illinois Library
September 14, 2009
This extra layer of assessment allows librarians to analyze who is using their library and make
appropriate adjustments. If their patrons are primarily graduate students and faculty, having
experienced librarians behind the reference desk might be necessary to fully answer their indepth research queries, while a preeminence of undergraduates or local community members
could be handled by paraprofessionals and student workers. Since Desk Tracker records the date
and time of interactions, an administrator can manipulate their staff to match the varying types of
patrons which come in at different times and on different days.
The version of Desk Tracker used by Government Documents also has a Patron Type field, but
without a description box to go along with it:
Additional Resources
Desk Tracker website: http://www.desktracker.com/
The Desk Tracker website includes a link to a Case Study demonstrating the effectiveness of the program
in comparison with a paper-based “tick sheet” data collection system.
Desk Tracker guide: http://www.library.illinois.edu/export/assessment/documents/DTGuide.doc
A brief guide on how to use Desk Tracker, available via the LAWG website, under the “Survey
Resources and Tools” section.
Desk Tracker Case Studies: http://www.compendiumlib.com/case-studies.php
A list of four prominent libraries—one public and three academic—which implemented Desk Tracker and
their positive results. Disclaimer: these “case studies” are hosted by the company which produces Desk
Tracker and are less like proper research than laudatory quotations from happy customers.
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