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CUNY libraries statistics 2022-2023

Library Services

Library Circulation Usage

 

  • Question
  • Explanation

60A. Total circulation (physical) 

 

 Include the general and reserves collections

  • books
  • media
  • e-book readers (pre-loaded with books)

Do NOT include

  • laptops
  • calculators
  • peripherals
  • renewals

Watch this video to help you navigate to this report in Alma Analytics

In Alma Analytics, click Catalog (upper right-hand corner), open Shared Folders on the left-hand side, navigate to Community > Reports > Consortia > CUNY > ACRL IPEDS AL. The report is called "ACRL Q60A - Total Circulation - Physical"; click Open.

60B. Total Circulation (electronic)

  • Report usage of digital/electronic titles whether viewed, downloaded, or streamed. 
  • If you have access to  COUNTER 5 TR_B1 reports, use this field.
  • If COUNTER R5 reports are unavailable but COUNTER Release 4 reports are available, skip 60 Column B, leave it blank and answer questions 61 and 62 and provide answers accordingly
  • COUNTER 5 metric type for e-books is “unique title requests.”
  • For e-media, use IR_M1: Multimedia Item Requests, report metric type for “total_item_requests”
  • If the vendor does not use COUNTER, but provides another usage report, report those numbers here.
  • Report e-serials usage from Q63 here (update from ACRL 1/26/21)
  • Do NOT include titles in a Patron Driven Acquisitions package until it is purchased.
  • Do NOT include Institutional Repository usage here
  • Do the best you can

61B. E-book usage COUNTER BR1 (if available)

  • If COUNTER Release 5 reports are unavailable but COUNTER Release 4 reports are available, follow the instructions for questions 61 and 62 and provide answers accordingly
  • Report all COUNTER BR1 usage numbers you are able to get from e-book vendors. 

62B. E-book usage COUNTER BR2 (if available)

  • Report all COUNTER BR2 usage numbers you are able to get from e-book vendors. 

Here are the ACRL instructions for these questions:

“If COUNTER Release 5 reports are unavailable and if COUNTER Release 4 reports are available, IPEDS suggest that libraries report counts from BR1 and MR1 on line 61 Column B. If BR1 and MR1 statistics are not available, BR2 and MR2 statistics can be used and reported on line 62 Column B. In cases where vendors do not provide COUNTER reports, libraries may report using other means for monitoring digital/electronic circulation/usage (downloads, session views, transaction logs, etc.)”

 

Additional guidance:

The reported counts for questions 61 and 62 will not be used as a sum to fill in Total Digital/Electronic

Circulation in question 60 Column B."  -- ACRL p. 24

 

63B. E-serials usage

  • Count e-journal usage for licensed resources (most of your A-Z list) based upon Project COUNTER JR1 reports. 
  • If the vendor does not provide JR1 reports, then use any measure provided or full text downloads or views.
  • Do the best you can.  There is no perfect answer.
  • Question
  • Explanation

64. Transactions

Report transactions (in-person, telephone, e-mail, Web interface, or other medium) as described by ACRL: "Interactions and information contacts that involve knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction ... do not report directional transactions here. A directional transaction is an information contact that facilitates the use of the library and not knowledge, use recommendations, etc." 

Do not report directional transactions here.

If contact is both directional and reference, report as one transaction.

Include: Slack, FaceTime, Zoom, chat, LibAnswers, etc.

65. Consultations

Report consultations as described by ACRL: Include one-on-one or small group appointments often scheduled in advance, occur outside of the classroom or a service point, and require staff preparation or equivalent previous experience. Include: in-person, telephone, e-mail, Web interface, or other medium. Include appointments with archives or special collections staff.

If separate transactions/consultation counts are not available, report all in line 66.

Include: Slack, FaceTime, Zoom, chat, LibAnswers, etc.

67. Virtual reference services

A virtual reference interaction is a question that is received and responded to in electronic format and conforms to reference interactions.  It includes email, webform, chat, text messaging, instant messaging or other network-based medium designed to support virtual reference."

Include transactions and consultations

Include: Slack, FaceTime, Zoom, chat, LibAnswers, etc.

68. Indicate the number of branch and independent libraries

  • Exclude the main library.  See the ACRL Instructions (link below) if  this applies to your library.
Additional instructions

Transactions and consultation interactions are defined as 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. The term includes information and referral service.

Include: Slack, FaceTime, Zoom, chat, LibAnswers, etc.

If separate transactions/consultation counts are not available, report all in line 64.

  • Information Services to Individuals
  • NOTE: Many libraries only collect reference transactions once or twice a year. To convert that to an annual number, multiply your sample week (or the average of your sample weeks) by the number of in-session weeks in a year. For instance, if you're typically in-session 46 weeks a year, and your sample reference week yields 200 questions, report 9,200 transactions (200X46).
  •  
  • Information Services to Groups
  •  Number of all presentations to groups (Include synchronous and asynchronous)
  • Question
  • Explanation

70. Number of synchronous presentations

  • Count the total number of in-person synchronous presentations in 70A
  • Count the total number synchronous presentations using digital/electronic formats in 70B
  • Count each meeting of a credit class
  • Count each one-shot workshop
  • Web-based presentations are counted as digital/electronic and counted in 70B

If a presentation is conducted as a simultaneous hybrid (in-person and online), report only once as either in-person or online.

 

If not tracked separately, count total number of presentations and enter on line 70C.

 

If a presentation begins in one format (such as in-person) and ends in another (such as online), report it as the format that concludes the presentation.

71. Total attendance at all synchronous presentations

For multi-session classes, like credit classes, count each person only once regardless of the number of sessions attended if possible/feasible.

  • Report the total number of persons attending or served by synchronous in-person presentations on line 71A.
  • Report the total number of persons attending or served by synchronous digital/electronic presentations on line 71B
  • If a presentation begins in one format (such as in-person) and ends in another (such as online), report it as the format that concludes the presentation.
  • If not tracked separately, count total number of presentations and enter on line 71C 

72. Number of asynchronous presentations

An asynchronous presentation can be defined as a recorded online session, tutorial, video, or other interactive educational module created in a digital/electronic format and includes web-based presentations such as recorded webinars.

  • Count presentations created for educational or training purposes
  • Do not count handouts or text-based, non-interactive research guides, presentations that serve informational or marketing purposes, or presentations that your library staff used but were created by another library or organization.

73. Total attendance at all asynchronous presentations

For multi-session classes, like credit classes, count each person only once regardless of the number of sessions attended if possible/feasible.

  • Count “expected attendance from registration or course enrollment. "Do not count downloads, views, and/or webpage hits.
74. Number of presentations to groups (include synchronous and asynchronous)

These lines will automatically be calculated for you.

75. Total attendance at all presentations to groups (include synchronous and asynchronous) These lines will automatically be calculated for you.

Hours

76. Number of hours open during a typical week in an academic session.

 

Report an unduplicated count of hours a library facility or facilities are open in a typical week, including the main library and branches, using the following method: If a library is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, it should report 40 hours per week. If several of its branches are also open during these hours, the figure remains 40 hours per week.

Gate Counts

Report the number of entries to the library facilities on an annual basis and/or in a typical week, whichever is easier for the respondent.

79a. Gate counts on an Annual Basis

Report actual number of entries in the past fiscal year.

Library with two or more physical space - does not use gate counts but conducts hourly head count:

  • Include the head count in 79a and include note " _____ percent of the gate count represents head counts done hourly at (# of libraries) library-managed and library-staffed location(s) open hours a week.”

79c. Gate Count in a Typical Week (If Available)

Report the number of persons who physically enter library facilities in a typical week. It is understood that a single person may be counted more than once. 

Typical Week – A “typical week” is a time that is neither unusually busy nor unusually slow. Avoid holidays, vacation periods, days when unusual events are taking place in the community or in the library. Choose a week in which the library is open regular hours.

Questions?

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