A SURVEY OF TELEPHONE INQUIRIES - CASE-STUDY AND OPERATIONAL IMPACT IN AN ACADEMIC-LIBRARY REFERENCE DEPARTMENT

In one academic library's reference department the frequency of telephone calls had overrun the staff's ability to respond. As a result, a survey was designed to count and categorize the types of questions coming in to the telephones at the reference service points. Information about the calls was collected over a two-week period. Although the largest single category of calls (33.5%) represented reference questions, informational and directional calls made up nearly 66% of the total. Also analyzed were the level of staff taking the call, the level of activity during various times and days of the week, and the need for consultation among staff to answer the questions. In a secondary level of analysis, the survey data were then applied to a queuing model to aid in determining the optimal number of telephone lines for the department. A reconsideration of reference and information telephone policy and procedures was supported by the results.