104 · Survey Results: Survey Questions and Responses
“We do not track individual digital finding aids, nor finding aids as a group. The Libraries has some general tools
for counting and analyzing ‘hits’ of files, and this might give us some information. Since our finding aids have
been harvested by any number of search engines and other projects, however, I doubt there is a realistic way to
gather much useful information about how and by whom they are used. Our perception, however, is that where
in-house finding aids were rarely sought out, when we now place a finding aid online, we very frequently have in
our in-boxes, within a matter of days, a reader request relating to the collection. This does not _always_ happen,
of course, but frequently enough to suggest that online finding aids are found in ways that in-house documents
could not and were not found.”
“We observe at a high level, the number of hits to our online finding aid pages. In January 2008, the top 100
pages visited on our Web site included 5,000 visits to the finding aids. (This does not include hits to subsequent
levels of the finding aids.)”
“We use a statistic database to keep track off finding aid usage.”
“Web logs record which documents (finding aids) were opened and how often.”
“Web page statistics through the Online Archive of California. Of course, through Web statistics you cannot tell
how a person is using the finding aid, or if the finding aid was even useful for their informational needs.”
“Web Tracker.”
“Web tracking.”
“Web tracking software allows us to see general Web statistics for all online finding aids. This provides some
vague but useful information.”
“Web usage logs provide a gross picture of discovery and usage.”
“We’ve just implemented Google analytics in Arizona Archives Online and we look forward to seeing data.”
“When patrons request a collection in the reference room they are asked how they found out about a collection.
We record these answers. At this point, this is the only usage tracking we are doing.”
30. Does there appear to be any difference in the frequency of use of in-house and online finding
aids? N=41
Yes, online finding aids are used more 33 81%
Yes, in-house finding aids are used more 5 12%
No, they are used about the same 3 7%
Selected Comments from Respondents
Yes, online finding aids are used more
“All finding aids are online.”
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