Distance librarians often do not have the opportunity to engage face-to-face with users of library services. Without this personal interaction, it can be difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of library services in meeting the needs of the distance learners. Distance librarians may not realize it, but most have a wealth of information at their fingertips. In particular, data can be extracted and behavior use patterns discerned through Web analytics, transaction log analysis, and qualitative analysis of virtual reference transcripts. In lieu of interpersonal communication, distance librarians can listen to and observe user behavior through these evaluation methods. This paper offers an introductory perspective of these methods for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness of various service points and planning a course of action for enhancing the user experience in distance library services.
BACKGROUNDDistance librarians serve a unique purpose in the tradition of academic librarianship, playing a key role in the evolution of library services in higher
Nueloar F o r c e s -0 w e n C h a m b e r l a i n~: . , , . . 92 Nuclear E n e r g y Lcvels -I s a d o r e ~e r l r n a n ' . . . . Tho T r a n s u r a n i u m E l e m e n t s -Glenn T . Seaborg /. ,107
PREFACEIn April of 1955 tho Radiation Laboratory of the University of California astit oul lo 18 high schools in tho Bay Area l e t t e r s which said, in p a r l , "Tho sbjoet sf thie p r o g r a m i s t o hclp science t e a c h e r s achieve ,some , , p w t O e a 1 knowlaclge and a x p~r i a n e e i n nuclcar science by working with some of our baeie resloarch groupe in p h y~i c e and chemistry. In thisdway we belieye that we can a e e i a l 111ses tcachcrs in t h e i r efforts t o make their students m o r e Ekwars of the naLuro of a t o m i c energy and help t o p r e p a r e them for the impact sf a l s m f s enorgy in tlroir tuturo, I t ' I TI10 rablponse wae ~n t h u~i a~t i c and 14 high echo01 t e a c h e r s were fselect@cl for the program. Thcee t e a h h e r s w e r e assigned t o various e x p e r itnontal groups (st tho Laboratory in P h y a i c~, C h e m i s t r y , and,Biochemietry . z t rn the rola sf junior ~e i c n t i e t e t o d o whatever work was n e c e s s a r y , with that , BPeuY > . a A eoriae sf lceturau by sonior staff m e m b e r s of the Laboratory was , ,. 'itrrangad for 'I'uoetlny and l'trureday mornings. It w a s intended that each toneher ~i~lisuld write up onc or m o r e of these talks and the whole,should be wada evailnbls to a l l . Editorial difficulties prevented completion of this pttnea of t t r~ p r o g r a m .In gc\t\c?rtrl it wnH folt that the p r o g r a m was most worth while a n .#ucc,e$#ful. So ~tluch R Q , that it was rcpeatud on a nearly doubled s c a l e 1956, l'lro undoreigncd wiia asked t o attend the lectures and write a s e r trstas on thorn.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.