Analysis of reference transactions to inform library applications (apps)

Content analysis of questions asked at multiple reference service points are used to inform library application (app) development. Reduced library budgets create service gaps, and library apps present one potential solution to help users with simple wayfinding and library attribute questions. Content analysis of three years of questions asked at fifteen face-to-face service points on the campus of the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, as well as questions received via telephone, e-mail, and chat demonstrate that library location-based questions comprise 77.6% of the total questions asked. This approach shows the potential that the study of library location-based questions has for informing library apps.

► Academic library reference transactions were analyzed for location content.
► 83.7% of all reference transactions contained location-based questions.
► 77.6% of the total questions asked were library wayfinding or attribute questions.
► Library apps should cover the most frequently asked location-based questions.