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Telephone Calls

Page history last edited by Kim Miller 8 years, 2 months ago

January 15, 2016

 

Question

 

Terry Blauvelt (MO)

 

Hello all,

 

I have a library that would like me to add a question or two at the state level concerning telephone calls as a type of reference transaction, but also as a type of visit (think like virtual visit). I have some concerns about content parameters, duplication with reference transactions, and burden of reporting. Does anyone collect any data on phone calls?

 

Happy Friday to a three day weekend!


 

SDC Comments

 

Scott Dermont (IA)

 

I would count phone calls as reference questions. Or not, depending on the content. If I was going to add a question like this to my state survey, I would to know what it was going to be used for. We already count it in the reference transactions count. Do we need to count it again as something else as well. I would tend to say no to that.


 

Katrice Stewart (FL)

 

Robert:

 

Hi, Terry.

 

I agree with Scott on this one. In Florida, we do NOT specifically pull out telephone calls but do promote adding to the tally for reference questions, if and when appropriate.


Terry Blauvelt (MO)

 

To clarify, we already count reference related questions via telephone in the reference transactions tally. The library is wanting to separate out the phone calls as a separate type of reference transaction.

 


Jamie McCanless (WI)

 

I agree that if the question is a reference transaction, receiving it by phone doesn’t exclude it from the count. It’s still a use of library staff service. On the other hand, counting it as a virtual visit strikes me as quite a stretch. In my head, virtual visits don’t involve direct interaction with staff.

 


Scott Dermont (IA)

 

I would want to know how that data would be used at the state level. I guess if you wanted to know how reference was being delivered you could break it out into categories. I would probably break out more than just phone service in that case. But are you really using it, or is it just nice to know? I’d need a really good case before I make the reference question even more complicated to report. I find it hard enough to count as it is.

 


Robbie DeBuff (NV)

 

Hey all!

 

I would think that counting the phone calls, if reference in nature, as a reference call would be more in line with what we’ve done for year, years, and years.  We need to remember that we never even thought of the “virtual visit” until the internet, why would necessarily we go back and rethink how we count phone calls?

 

Just my thoughts… :-/

 

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