[12715] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Why don't people use e-mail!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Penelope Dukes-Williams)
Fri Feb 5 20:08:32 1999
Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 15:41:23 -0600
From: Penelope Dukes-Williams <pwillims@tsl.state.tx.us>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I have been following the "Why don't people use e-mail!" discussions
with great interest and wanted to share with you some statistics from
the Reference/Documents Department of the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission. Please note that the e-mail statistics collected
are 100% data and the Reference Questions Answered - Other Sources is
sample data. Our reference questions/other sources does not include
administrative questions. Also, I only researched our raw data back to
March 1998.
The Reference/Documents Department of the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission started receiving e-mail requests approximately
three years ago. During those early months, we received approximately 20
to 25 e-mails a month. From March 1998 through October 1998 we averaged
331 e-mailed reference questions a month and 611 reference
questions/other sources.
Last October, we improved the visibility of our Reference/Documents
e-mail link on our website. Since November 1998 we have averaged 587
e-mailed questions and 623 reference questions/other sources.
Perhaps other libraries have also experience this trend.
Penelope Dukes-Williams
Texas Documents Librarian
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
1201 Brazos
Austin, TX 78701
penelope.dukes-williams@tsl.state.tx.us
