Using Analytics for Library Surveys

Modified on Mon, 26 Oct 2020 at 10:36 AM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

In order to aid libraries in the completion of surveys, including the annual Wyoming State Library Public Library survey, I created the Library Survey folder in Shared Reports in Analytics. Below I provide descriptions and instructions on how to use these reports using a hypothetical survey as an example.


Note about Reports in Analytics

Reports in Analytics are templates with prompts. The prompts are a way to filter the report’s results before you run the report. (You can also filter the results of your report after you run it by creating a view filter. For instructions on how to do this, see the Creating a View Filter in Analytics technote).


One thing you want to remember about prompts is that you do not have to make selections for all prompts-only those policies you want to limit. If you do not make any selections for a prompt, all available elements (for that policy) will be included in the report’s results. For example, for this Item Library Code elemental prompt, if you do not select any library codes (move the codes from the “Available” to “Selected” pane), all item libraries will be included in the report’s results.


For more information about using prompts, see the Using Prompts in Analytics technote. For more detailed information about using Analytics, please see the Analytics Training Guide for WYLD Libraries .


In order to demonstrate how this report works, I will use the State Library as an example. For this example, the survey requires the following for Fiscal Year July-June 2019:

  • Number of print items at the end of FY2019
  • Number of audio items at the end of FY2019
  • Number of video items at the end of FY2019
  • Number of print serial subscriptions at the end of FY2019
  • Children’s circulation (physical collection) for FY2019
  • Total physical circulation for FY2019
  • Number of registered borrowers at the end of FY2019

 

*Item Counts by Item Type Report

The first report you should run is the *Item Counts by Item Type report. Running this report can help you determine which item types your library uses. Some of the reports in this folder include stats broken down by item type. These reports are broken down by item type because most surveys seek statistics according to item format.  

The *Item Counts by Item Type report has two prompts.

  1. Prompt 1 is an elemental prompt for Item Library Code. Select item library codes for your library system. You can select items by double-clicking. The Wyoming State Library does not have any branches. I will select only WSL:

  2. Prompt 2 is a value prompt for Item Created Date. If you do not enter a date for this prompt, all items created as of yesterday will be included in the report’s results. You have the option to limit the Item Created Date to the end of the fiscal year needed for the survey or earlier. For example, if the survey requires stats at the end of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, you would enter “6/30/2019” in the text field for this prompt. The survey requires stats at the end of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I will enter ‘”6/30/2019” in the text box:

    You can either use the calendar gadget to select the date or enter the date manually in this format “6/30/2019”. To run the report, click the “Run Report” button on the bottom left-hand part of the screen.

     

    Note: Analytics currently does not support “snapshot” reporting. In other words, even if you enter an item created date for the end of the fiscal year, any items deleted from the database since that date up to the day before you run the report will not be included in the report’s results. Therefore, for the most accurate results, run item count reports the day after the end of the fiscal year. For example, if you need stats for Fiscal Year July-June 2020, you would run the report 7/1/2020. This is only the case for item count and user count stats. Historical circ stats are not affected by when you run the report.. If you are unable to run this report on July 1, you can schedule the report to run on this date and have the results sent to your email. 

     

    Here are my report results:

  3. I suggest you export this list to Excel or copy it into a word processing program, so you can refer to it for the other reports.

Now that you know which item types you are currently using, you are ready to run the other reports. 


Note:  Check definitions for the stats requested before running any of these reports. For example, in the Wyoming Public Library Survey, some of the stats requested have a definition. You can obtain the definition by clicking on the title. Also, double-check with technical services regarding which item types are used for certain formats. For example, one library may use item type NEW for books while another may use it for DVDs.


Item and Title counts by Item Type (Create your own custom group)

This report allows you to create categories based on item type: Print Materials, Audio Materials, Video Materials, Serials, and Electronic Resources (if you have electronic resources in the database). Stats for State-licensed content, such as RBDigital and Cloud Library, are not available in Analytics. For these stats, visit our libguide page . If your library has locally licensed digital resources (such as Overdrive), please contact your vendor regarding stats.


This report counts the number of items and the number of titles. Number of titles is the number of bibliographic records that an item library has an item record linked to.


These categories work like filters. Therefore, only those item types you select will be included in the report’s results. All other non-selected item types will be excluded. Also, you can select the same item type in more than one category.


You are not required to make selections for any group; however, selections must be made for at least one category in order for the report to run. If you do not make any selections for a category, you will receive this error message:

This report can provide the following statistics for the survey:

  • Number of print items at the end of FY2019
  • Number of audio items at the end of FY2019
  • Number of video items at the end of FY2019
  • Number of print subscriptions for serials at the end of FY2019
  1. Prompt 1 is an elemental prompt for Item Library Code. Select item library codes for your library system. You can select items by double-clicking.  I will select WSL for this prompt:

  2. Prompt 2 is an elemental prompt for item policy Item Category 2. You would use this prompt if the survey asks to limit the report results to adult, juvenile, or young adult items. 

     

    Note: The accuracy of report results using an Item Category 2 filter depends on how your library catalogs adult, juvenile, and young adult items. Use only if your library consistently uses Item Category 2 policies to distinguish adult, juvenile, or young adult items. Your library may use another item policy, such as Item Category 1 or Home Location, to categorize adult, juvenile, or young adult items.

     

    The survey for this example does not require item counts broken down by age group, so I will leave this prompt blank:

  3. Prompt 3 is an elemental prompt for Item Status. Item Status is the Analytics term for “Current Location”. You would use this prompt, for example, if you want to exclude discards from the report’s results. (Discarded items have a current location of DISCARD). Because items with a current location of DISCARD have been removed from the WSL collection permanently, I will exclude Item Status DISCARD from the report’s results. To exclude discards, first move all selections from the “Available” pane to the “Selected” pane by clicking this icon .

    Next, move DISCARD back to the “Available” pane by double-clicking on it.

  4. Prompt 4 is a value prompt for Item Created Date. If you do not enter a date for this prompt, all items created as of yesterday will be included in the report’s results. You have the option to limit the Item Created Date to the end of the fiscal year needed for the survey or earlier.

     

    I am looking for item counts at the end of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I will enter “6/30/2019” in the text field for this prompt:

    You can either use the calendar gadget to select the date or enter the date manually in this format “6/30/2019”.

     

    Note: Analytics currently does not support “snapshot” reporting. In other words, even if you enter an item created date for the end of the fiscal year, any items deleted from the database since that date up to the day before you run the report will not be included in the report’s results. Therefore, for the most accurate results, run item count reports the day after the end of the fiscal year. For example, if you need stats for Fiscal Year July-June 2020, you would run the report 7/1/2020. This is only the case for item count and user count stats. Historical circ stats are not affected by when you run the report.. If you are unable to run this report on July 1, you can schedule the report to run on this date and have the results sent to your email. 
  5. Prompt 5 is an elemental prompt for the category Print Materials. The survey requires the number of print items in our collection at the end of Fiscal Year 2019.  

      

    Note: Remember, always check the survey for a definition for print materials. For example, do print materials include serials? Also, double-check with technical services regarding which item types are used for print materials. For example, one library may use item type NEW for books while another may use it for DVDs. 

     

    Referring back to the results of the *Item Counts by Item Type report, the State Library uses the following item types for print materials:
    • BOOK
    • GOVDOC
    • MANUSCRIPT
    • MAP
    • MUSIC
    • NEWSPAPER
    • NONCIRC
    • PAMPHLET
    • PERIODICAL
    • REF-BOOK
  6. Prompt 6 is an elemental prompt for the category Audio Materials. The survey requires the number of audio items in our collection at the end of Fiscal Year 2019.

     

    Note: Remember, always check the survey for a definition for audio materials. Also, double-check with technical services regarding which item types are used for audio materials. For example, one library may use item type MUSIC for sheet music while another may use it for music CDs.

     

    Referring back to the results of the *Item Counts by Item Type report, the State Library uses the following item types for audio materials:
    • AUDIOCASS
    • CDBOOK
    • CDMUSIC
  7. Prompt 7 is an elemental prompt for the category Video Materials. The survey requires the number of video items in our collection at the end of Fiscal Year 2019. Note: Remember, always check the survey for a definition for video materials. Also, double-check with technical services regarding which item types are used for video materials.Referring back to the results of the *Item Counts by Item Type report, the State Library uses the following item types for video materials:

    • DVD
    • VIDEO
  8. Prompt 8 is an elemental prompt for the category Serials. The survey requires the number of serial subscriptions in our collection at the end of Fiscal Year 2019. Because our library does not use the Acquisitions module to keep track of serial subscriptions, I will use this report to count the number of serial titles. (Another option for libraries that use serial control is to count the number of serial control records. Serials reports can be found in the “Serials” folder in Shared Reports). Referring back to the results of the *Item Counts by Item Type report, the State Library uses the following item types for serials: NEWSPAPERS, PERIODICALS.

     

    Note: Remember, always check the survey for a definition for serials. For example, does the survey just want print subscriptions? Also, double-check with technical services regarding which item types are used for serials. Also, your library may have print serial subscriptions for titles not in WYLDcat.

     

    Note: As mentioned earlier in the document, for reports that use custom groups, you can select the same item type in more than one category:


  9. Prompt 9 is an elemental prompt for the category Electronic Resources. The example survey does not require the number of electronic resources. I will leave this prompt blank:

  10.  Prompt 10 is available in case the survey requires another category besides Print Materials, Audio Materials, Video Materials, Serials, or Electronic Resources. This survey does not require any further categories so I will leave this prompt blank:

Below are my report results:

 

I included Item Type in the grid so you can double-check your prompt answers, but you can remove the column from the grid for better readability by right-clicking on the column header and selecting “Remove from Grid”:

 

 

Total Circulation by Item Category 2

This report counts the number of circulation transactions (Checkouts, Renewals, and Use Item transactions) for a selected month, selected Fiscal Year July-June, or you can create your date range. (For example, you would create your own date range if the survey requires Fiscal Year August-July instead of July-June). This report only contains circ stats for physical items or those that are in Symphony (WYLDcat). Stats for State-licensed content, such as RBDigital and Cloud Library, are not available in Analytics. For these stats, visit our libguide page . If your library has locally licensed digital resources, please contact your vendor regarding stats.


The grid in this report breaks down circ stats by Item Category 2. However, there are additional Report Objects that can be added the grid:


The report can provide the following statistics for the survey:

  • Children’s circulation (physical collection) for FY2019
  • Total physical circulation for FY2019

In order to obtain these stats, I am going to run this report twice: once for children’s circulation and once for total physical circulation.


Children’s circulation (physical collection) for FY2019

  1. Prompt 1 is an elemental prompt for Trans Stat Station Library. Station Library is the library in which the transaction took place at or the “Checkout” library. Select library codes for your library system. You can select items by double-clicking. I will select WSL for this prompt:

  2. Prompt 2 is an elemental prompt for Trans Stat Month. The survey requires circ stats for all of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I will leave this prompt blank:

  3. Prompt 3 is an elemental prompt for Fiscal Year July-June. The survey requires circ stats for Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I will select the radio button below:x

  4. Prompt 4 is an elemental prompt for Trans Stat Icat2 (Item Category 2). The survey requires circulation stats for children’s materials for Fiscal Year 2019.

     

    Note: The accuracy of report results depends on how your library catalogs adult, juvenile, and young adult items. Use only if your library consistently uses Item Category 2 policies to distinguish adult, juvenile, or young adult items. Your library may use another item policy, such as Item Category 1 or Home Location, to categorize adult, juvenile, or young adult items.

     

    The State Library uses Item Category 2 to categorize adult, children, and young adult items, so I will select JUVENILE and YA:

  5. Prompt 5 is an elemental prompt for Trans Stat Current Location (Current Location). I do not need to exclude any current locations from the report’s results. I will leave this prompt blank:

  6. Prompt 6 is an elemental prompt for Trans Stat Item Library (Item Library).  I do not need to limit my results to certain item libraries so I will leave this prompt blank:

  7. Prompt 7 is a qualification prompt that allows you to create your own transactional date range. I selected a date range using Prompt 3, so I will leave this prompt blank. However, you would create your own date range (instead of Prompt 3), for example, if the survey requires Fiscal Year August-July instead of July-June.

     

  8. Prompts 8-13 are for additional item policies including Item Type, Home Location, and Item Categories. The survey asks for all circ transactions for children’s physical items. The Wyoming State Library uses Item Category 2 to categorize children items, so I do not to filter any other item policies. I will leave prompts 8-13 blank.

Here are my report’s results:

 

Total Physical Circulation for FY2019

  • Prompt 1 is an elemental prompt for Trans Stat Station Library. Station Library is the library in which the transaction took place at or “Checkout”’ library. Select library codes for your library system. You can select items by double-clicking. I will select WSL for this prompt:

 

  • Prompt 2 is an elemental prompt for Trans Stat Month. The survey requires circulation statistics for all of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I will leave this prompt blank:

 

  • Prompt 3 is an elemental prompt for Fiscal Year July-June. The survey requires circ stats for Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I will select the “FY2019 STATS” radio button:

     

 

I don’t need to limit my results any further because the survey requires the number of circ transactions for all physical items so I will leave prompts 4-13 blank.

 

Note: With this report, you do not need to worry about excluding circ transactions for accounts with library use profiles, such as LOSTCARD, DISPLAY, and MISSING. These transactions are automatically excluded from this report’s results.


User Counts by User Profile (excludes library use profiles) 

This report counts the number of registered library users based on User Library and broken down by User Profile. This report automatically excludes user accounts with library use profiles, such as LOSTCARD, DISPLAY, and MISSING. For a complete list of library use profiles, visit this site. Also, you have the option to limit the report’s results by User Created Date and User Profile.

This report can provide the following statistics for the survey:

  • Number of registered borrowers at the end of FY2019
  1. Prompt 1 is an elemental prompt for User Library. Select libraries for your library system. You can select items by double-clicking. For the survey, I will select Wyoming State Library:

  2. Prompt 2 is an elemental prompt for User Profile. The survey is looking for all registered users, and library use profiles are automatically excluded from the report’s results.  So, I can leave this prompt blank:

  3. Prompt 3 is a value prompt for User Created Date. If you do not enter a date for this prompt, all users created as of yesterday will be included in the report’s results. You have the option to limit the User Created Date to the end of the fiscal year needed for the survey or earlier. For example, if the survey requires stats at the end of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, you would enter “6/30/2019” in the text field for this prompt. The survey requires stats at the end of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I will enter “6/30/2019” in the text box:

Note: Analytics currently does not support “snapshot” reporting. In other words, even if you enter a User Created Date for the end of the fiscal year, any users deleted from the database since that date up to the day before you run the report will not be included in the report’s results. Therefore, for the most accurate results, run user count reports the day after the end of the fiscal year. For example, if you need stats for Fiscal Year July-June 2020, you would run the report 7/1/2020. This is only the case for user count and item count stats. Historical circ stats are not affected by when you run the report.. If you are unable to run this report on July 1, you can schedule the report to run on this date and have the results sent to your email. 


Here are my report’s results:

There are other reports in this folder that you can use for surveys.

 

Number of serial titles

This report is an alternative to the Item and Title counts by Item Type (Create your own custom group) report for obtaining stats for the number of serial titles. For this report, I created a custom group with two categories. The first category Serials includes item types typically used for serials or periodicals including BOUNDPER, JUVMAG, NEWSPAPER, PERIODICAL, and YAMAG. The other category “All other item types” includes every item type except the ones in the Serials category. 

  1. Prompt 1 is an elemental prompt for Item Library Code. Select codes for your library system.

    For the survey example, I will select WSL.

  2. Prompt 2 is a value prompt for Item Created Date. The survey requires stats at the end of Fiscal Year July-June 2019, so I entered “6/30/2019” in the text box:

  3. Prompt 3 is an elemental prompt for Item Status. Item Status refers to the item’s Current Location. Because discards have been removed from the collection permanently, I will exclude Item Status DISCARD from the report’s results:

Here are my report’s results:

Note: This report’s results will be accurate only if your library catalogs serials using the item types defined in the Serials category: BOUNDPER, JUVMAGE, NEWSPAPER, PERIODICAL, and YAMAG. Double-check with your technical services department. Also, your library might have print serial subscriptions for titles not in WYLDcat.

 

Total Circulation by Item Type (Create your own custom group)

This report counts the number of circulation transactions (Checkouts, Renewals, and Use Item transactions) for a selected month, selected Fiscal Year July-June, or you can create your date range. (For example, you would create your own date range if the survey requires Fiscal Year August-July instead of July-June). This report only contains circ stats for physical items or those that are in Symphony (WYLDcat). Stats for State-licensed content, such as RBDigital and Cloud Library are not available in Analytics. For these stats, visit our libguide page.


Like the Item and Title counts by Item Type report, these categories work like filters. Therefore, only those item types you select will be included in the report’s results. All other non-selected item types will be excluded. Also, you can select the same item type in more than one category.

 

You are not required to make selections for any category; however, selections must be made for at least one category in order for the report to run. If you do not make any selections for a custom group (category), you will receive this error message:


The survey in the example above did not require circulation broken down by categories, such as Print Materials and Video Materials. Therefore, I used the Total Circulation by Item Category 2 report instead.

 

If you have any questions about reports in the Library Survey folder, please contact WYLD support at support@wyldnetwork.org. For questions about the annual Wyoming Public Library Survey, please contact Thomas Ivie, Research & Statistics Librarian at thomas.ivie@wyo.gov.


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