ocls 2010: tracking the elusive student
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Tracking the Elusive Student: Opportunities for Connection and AssessmentTRANSCRIPT
Tracking the Elusive Student: Opportunities for Connection and Assessment
Sara MemmottSusann deVriesEastern Michigan University
Fourteenth Off-Campus Library Services ConferenceCleveland, Ohio, April 28, 2010
http://www.slideshare.net/smemmott
Tracking the Elusive Student• Library Services for Extended (Online & Off-
Campus) Students at EMU• Communication• Selecting & Organizing Information
▫Service information▫Resources information▫ Instructional information
• Analysis using Google Analytics▫Site Visitors▫Traffic Sources▫Selected Content
• Conclusion
Online Library Services
•Online and hybrid classes
• Integrated Library Services Task Force
•Web Site Revision Team
Silos of Information
Extended Programs and Educational Outreach (EPEO)
•Service Information
•Resources•Instruction
Bruce T. Halle Library
Integrated Library Services Task Force
Library Web Site Revision
•Web Site Task Force began January 2008•New site debuted August 2009•http://www.emich.edu/library/•Goals included:
▫Avoid duplication of content and effort▫Use language that is easy to
understand
•Free web analytics•Uses page tagging – not server log
analysis▫Embed Google Analytics JavaScript in each
page▫Only need access to web pages
•Extra steps needed to track▫File downloads▫Use of Flash, video, audio▫External links
Extended Programs Students & the Library Web Site
•Who is using the site?▫Site Visitors: On and Off-Campus patterns of use
•How do users get to our site?▫Sources of web site traffic
•How often is relevant content being used?▫Research content and information on library
services
Who is Using the Site?
All Visits Sept 2009 – Mar 2010
327,905 100%
Local 179,741
55%
Non-Local 148,164
45%
Web Site Visitors
Site Visitors – Weekly Patterns
• Non-local visits higher than local on weekends, Spring Break• Local traffic varies more throughout the week, with highs on Mondays, lows on Saturdays
Sample Month:
Site Visitors – Daily Patterns
• Non-local visits higher than local visits from 6pm – 8am• In Google Analytics, Go to Visitors > Visitor Trending to see Graph by Hour option
All Sources
my.emich
Library Catalog
EMU Online CMS
EPEO web site
Research Guides
Ereserves
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000
How do users get to our site?
Direct Traffic Sources, September 1, 2009 – March 31, 2010
All Sou
rces
my.
emic
h
Libra
ry C
atal
og
EMU O
nlin
e CM
S
EPEO web
site
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
% Non-local% Local
Direct Traffic Sources
Use of Relevant Content
Entire
libr
ary site
Datab
ases
Datab
ase Help
)
Serv
ices
for E
PEO s
tude
nts
Link
s to
vid
eo tu
toria
ls
Resea
rch
Guide
s0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Non-localLocal
% o
f P
ag
e V
iew
s
Non-local use of library web site content
Library Web SiteDatabasesResearch GuidesHelp PagesHome page
Continuing & Future Areas of Focus
•New Online Learning Librarian•Web Site Revisions•Migrating Research Guides to LibGuides•Campus moving to one CMS (currently
three)•Continue to build relationships
▫Extended Programs▫Faculty
•Assessment
Questions?
•Sara Memmott, [email protected]
•Susann deVries, [email protected]
•http://www.slideshare.net/smemmott
References - 1
Betty, P. (2009). Assessing homegrown library collections: Using Google Analytics to track use of screencasts and flash-based learning objects. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 21(1), 75-92. doi:10.1080/19411260902858631
Breeding, M. (2008). An analytical approach to assessing the effectiveness of web-based resources. Computers in Libraries, 28(1), 20-22.
Fang, W. (2007). Using Google Analytics for improving library website content and design: A case study. Library Philosophy and Practice, Retrieved from http://unllib.unl.edu/LPP/fang.htm
Gillis, J. (2008). A deeper look at advanced segmentation: Filtering on the fly. Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://analytics.blogspot.com/2008/11/deeper-look-at-advanced-segmentation.html
References - 2Google. How do I manually track clicks on outbound links? Retrieved
December 11, 2009, from http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55527
Google. How do I track files (such as PDF, AVI, or WMV) that are downloaded from my site? Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55529
Khoo, M., Pagano, J., Washington, A. L., Recker, M., Palmer, B., & Donahue, R. A. (2008). Using web metrics to analyze digital libraries. Proceedings of the 8th ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. 375-384. doi:10.1145/1378889.1378956
Kilzer, R. D. (2008). Using Google Analytics in the proprietary OPAC [PDF document]. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1811/31951
Ledford, J., & Tyler, M. E. (2007). Google Analytics 2.0. Indianpolis, IN: Wiley.