MEASURES AND METRICS
DOMAIN: READING ROOM VISITS
A secure, supervised Reading Room is the primary setting in which archival and special collections materials are consulted by researchers at most Repositories. Collecting statistics on the number and duration of Reading Room Visits enables a Repository to assess the frequency and intensity of direct researcher engagement with its holdings.
Basic measure (“Reader Days”)
Count the number of Reading Room Visits made by Registered Users during a 24-hour period, beginning and ending at midnight. Count each unique Registered User once and only once, regardless of how many times the User enters and exits the Reading Room during the 24-hour period, and regardless of the User’s total or cumulative visit length.
Rationale:
Maintaining a daily tally of Reading Room Visits is the simplest and most straightforward way of gauging how often Users consult the Repository’s holdings directly and in person. It is assumed that Users who are admitted to the Reading Room for the purpose of consulting materials have completed at least a basic registration process, and are therefore referred to here and elsewhere as Registered Users.
Guidelines for collection:
- Reader Days can be tallied manually by creating a daily list of individual Registered Users who enter the Reading Room, and then adding up the number of unique Users who were admitted to the Reading Room that day.
- Visits can be tallied upon either entrance or exit from the Reading Room, for in a contained, controlled Reading Room area, the number of entrances and exits during the course of a day should, of course, be the same.
- If two or more Registered Users visit the reading room together, count each Registered User’s visit separately.
Application and examples:
- A Registered User is admitted to the Reading Room at 10:00am and works until noon, then signs out to take a lunch break, and returns at 1:30pm and works for another hour. Count one Visit.
- A Registered User is admitted to the Reading Room at 10:00am, briefly consults one item, and then leaves at 10:15am for the rest of the day. Count one Visit.
- A User is admitted to the Reading Room on one day and returns the next day to consult the same or new material. Count 2 Visits.
Advanced measure (“Reader Hours”)
Calculate the cumulative amount of time that a Registered User spends in the Reading Room during a 24-hour period, beginning and ending at midnight. Record the measure in hours or minutes.
Rationale:
More detailed insights into the usage of Reading Room services can be gained by tracking the length of Registered Users’ Visits in addition to their number (i.e., Reader Days). Longer Visits imply more intensive use of materials than shorter ones.
Guidelines for collection:
- This measure can be obtained by recording the times that Registered Users enter and exit the Reading Room on a manual form or a spreadsheet, and then calculating the total amounts of time that individual Users spend in the Reading Room each day and summing the results for each day.
- A Reading Room management software system may be able to calculate and report this statistic automatically.
Application and examples:
- A Registered User is admitted to the Reading Room at 10:00am and works until 12:00pm, then signs out to take a lunch break. The User returns at 1:30pm and works until 3:15pm. Record a total Reading Room Visit length of 3.75 hours, or 225 minutes.
- A Registered User is admitted to the Reading Room at 10:00am, quickly consults one item, and then leaves at 10:15am for the rest of the day. Record a total visit length of 0.25 hours, or 15 minutes.
- A Registered User is admitted to the Reading Room at 9:00am on Monday and leaves at 11:00am. S/he returns on Tuesday at 10:00am and leaves at 12:30pm. Record a Visit length of 2.0 hours, or 120 minutes for the first Visit on Monday, and a Visit length of 2.5 hours, or 150 minutes, for the second Visit on Tuesday.
Recommended metrics
Total Reading Room Visits per day
- Calculating and comparing the total number of Reading Room Visits per day (i.e., total “Reader Days”) can reveal usage patterns and help determine appropriate open and closing times and staffing levels. For example, a Repository that records few Reading Room Visits on Saturdays but many on certain weekdays when the Reading Room is also open during the evening, may decide to discontinue Saturday hours and instead offer additional weekday evening hours.
- Comparing total Reading Room Visits per day for each date over multiple years can reveal fluctuations in usage levels and trends.
Average number of Reading Room Visits per day
- Calculating the average number of Reading Room Visits per day can provide a useful baseline metric for comparing usage levels and trends from year to year, or at multiple Reading Rooms or Repositories.
Average number of Reading Room Visits per unique Registered User
- Calculating the average number of Reading Room Visits made by unique Registered Users during a given period of time indicates the overall rate of return visits. Multiple visits by the same User increases the average, indicating more frequent and intensive usage.
- Monitoring the standard deviation of this statistic, and the percentage of users who visit more than once, may also be useful in assessing overall usage patterns. For example, are more users visiting more frequently over time?
Total “Reader Hours” per day
- Calculating and comparing the total number of hours that Registered Users spend in the Reading Room each day over a given period of time can reveal fluctuations in usage levels and trends. See also consultation hours advanced measure under the Collection Use domain.
Average Reading Room Visit length
- Calculating and comparing the average Reading Room Visit length from year to year or during other distinct periods can reveal usage patterns and trends, and the impact of policy changes. For example, does average Reading Room Visit length increase when hours are extended? Does permitting the use of personal digital cameras tend to increase or decrease average Reading Room Visit length?
Table of Contents
Measures and Metrics:
