Tracking and Metering Library Usages on the Web

Tracking and Metering Library Usages on the Web 2011 VALE Users'/ACRL-NJ/NJLA-CUS Conference Sharon Yang & Patricia Dawson Rider University

Overview • Introduction – How the Web trackers are being used by librarians – What kind of Web trackers are available – Types of usage statistics • Web Trackers (tracking & metering tools) – Tools to track Web pages/user behavior – Tools to track Flash tutorials/user behavior – Demos • Conclusion • References/credits

Introduction: How Web Trackers are Used • Online catalogs: circulation, license records, coverage (Carroll and Cummings, 2010) • Collection analysis (Paynter, 2009) • Serials analysis (Paynter, 2009; Carroll and Cummings, 2010) • Monitoring legal users, purging non-active users by mapping IP to geographical locations (Spitzer, 2009) • Web pages and user behavior • Use of online tutorials (Betty, 2009, 2008; Coombs, 2005; Good, 2004)

Introduction: Types of Web Trackers 1. OPACs-Invisible Web and statistics mostly by vendors 2. Electronic databases-Invisible Web and statistics mostly by individual vendors 3. Web page viewing , link clicking, tasks performed, browsers used, amount of time spent on each page 4. Web applications-Flash tutorials and videos

Introduction: What We Will Cover? 1. OPACs-Invisible Web and statistics mostly by vendors 2. Electronic databases-Invisible Web and statistics mostly by individual vendors 3. Web page viewing , link clicking, tasks performed, browsers used, amount of time spent on each page 4. Web applications-Flash tutorials/videos

Web page viewing , link clicking, tasks performed, browsers used, amount of time spent on each page Web Pages/user behavior 1. Apache Server logs and analytical tools – – Commercial-Web. Trands, Surfstats, Sawmill Open source-Awstats, Analog, Webalizer 2. Web-based Solutions – – Stat. Counter at www. statcounter. com Google Analytics at https: //www. google. com/analytics

Apache Web Server Logs • Apache Web Server configuration file. Httpd. conf • access. log • error. log

Apache Web Server logs-access. log

Apache server Logs and Analytical Tools • Acess. log needs analytical tools to view and analyze • Free analytical tools – – – • Awstats (Unix or any operating system that has perl) Analog (Windows, Macintosh, Unix and more) Webalizer (Unix) Demo-use Analog to view and analyze access. log – – – Download Analog for Windows Unzip it into a directory Tell analog. cfg the location of access. log file Run analog. exe View report. html

Stat. Counter 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Go to http: //www. statcounter. com Register and create an account Create the code based on your preference Cut and paste the code into the page you want to keep track of Log in to http: //www. statcounter. com to see statistics

Configure Stat. Counter

Stat. Counter Code

The Page to Be Tracked by Stat. Counter <html> <title>Stat. Counter Demo</title> <body> <center><h 1>Stat. Counter Demo Page </h 1></center> This is a demo of how Stat. Counter works The folloing are the steps to install Stat. Counter on your site: 1. Register and create a user account 2. Tell Stat. Counter how and what you want to track such as the URL of your web and if you want an image or text counter 3. Copy and cut the code into your html file 4. Login www. statcounter. com for statistics  <script type="text/javascript"> var sc_project=6509572; var sc_invisible=0; var sc_security="57088 f 1 d"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http: //www. statcounter. com/counter. js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a title="web stats" href="http: //statcounter. com/free_web_stats. html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http: //c. statcounter. com/6509572/0/57088 f 1 d/0/" alt="web stats" ></a></div></noscript>  </body> Demo of this page Stat. Counter Statistics

The Next Topic? 1. Web page/user behavior (Web page viewing , link clicking, tasks performed, browsers used, amount of time spent on each page) • Apache Server logs and analytical tools – – • Commercial-Web. Trands, Surfstats, Sawmill Open source-Awstats, Analog, Webalizer Web-based Solutions – – Stat. Counter at www. statcounter. com Google Analytics at https: //www. google. com/analytics 2. Web applications-Flash tutorials/videos

Flash Tutorials/Videos • Flash Analytics of Google Analytics (Flash component) • Blackboard • Software – Hitbox – Mochi. Bot (Free at www. mochibot. com)

Google Analytics • www. google. com/analytics • “Google Analytics (GA) is a free service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to a website” (Wikipedia) • Google Analytics “is a free web analytics tool offering detailed visitor statistics. The tool can be used to track all the usual site activities: visits, page views, pages per visit, bounce rates and average time on site etc. ” (SEO and Internet Marketing Services)

Use Google Analytics One Method: • Go to Google Analytics web site • Register and create an account • Create a project by entering the URL for tracking and metering • Copy and paste the code into the xxxx. htm file • Enter the following Javascript coding into each tutorial slide for tracking and metering page. Tracker. _track. Pageview(“slide 3"); • View report and statistics • For details, please use the following site: http: //code. google. com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/flash. Tracking. Intro. html

Flash tutorial When you publish a Flash tutorial, you will produce three files: • xxxx. htm • xxxx. swf • xxxx. js

Google Analytics code

Adding the Code to demo. htm

Prepare Adobe Captive for Tracking

Communication • The code in xxxx. swf will communicate with the code in xxxxx. htm • The code in xxxx. htm will talk to Google Analytics server by a Web property ID • The Analytics server will compile data and produce reports

Google Analytics

Google Analytics Report

Blackboard • Upload the flash file to any Blackboard Item using the WYSIWYG editor • The files must be under 25 MB each, and the course size must not exceed 300 MB (Rider policy only) • Set tracking on the item to see what students have seen it, how many times, what time of day, what day of week, etc. • Statistics are produced and housed in Blackboard • Faculty can monitor students’ use of individual modules in a tutorial

Conclusion • Deciding on type of Web Tracker Depends on who controls the data to some degree • Web Trackers embedded into course management systems (Web. Ct, Blackboard) allows faculty to track actual student participation but not visible to librarians • Web Trackers embedded into library servers or Google Analytics can be controlled by librarians

Questions?

References • Betty, Paul. “Assessing Homegrown Library Collections: Using Google Analytics to Track Use of Screencasts and Flash-based Learning Objects. ” Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship 21 (2009): 75 -92. doi: 10. 1080/19411260902858631. • ———. “Creation, Management, and Assessment of Library Screencasts: The Regis Libraries Animated Tutorials Project. ” Journal of Library Administration 48, no. 3/4 (2008): 295 -315. doi: 10. 1080/01930820802289342. • Carroll, Dianne, and Joel Cummings. “Data Driven Collection Assessment Using a Serial Decision Database. ” Serials Review 36, no. 4 (2010): 227 -239. doi: 10. 1016/j. serrev. 2010. 09. 001. • Coombs, Karen A. “Using Web Server Logs to Track Users through the Electronic Forest. ” Computers in Libraries 25, no. 1 (2005): 16 -20.

References • Good, Deborah J. “The Use of Flash Animations with a Web. CT Environment: Enhancing Comprehension. ” International Journal of Instructional Media 31, no. 4 (2004): 355 -370. • Paynter, Robin A. “Commercial Library Decision Support Systems: An Analysis Based on Collection Managers’ Needs. ” Collection Management 47 (2009): 31 -47. doi: 10. 1080/01462670802548585. • Rogers, Michael. “Ebsco Delivers Open Source Usage Stats Software Kit. ” Library Journal 134, no. 15 (2009): 18. • ———. “Serial Solutions Improves Reporting for 360 Counter. ” Library Journal 134, no. 15 (2009): 18.

References • SEO and Internet Marketing Services. "Internet Marketing and SEO Glossary-G. “ Mid-Atlantic SEO. http: //www. midatlanticseo. com/information/ internetmarketing-glossary/SEO-keywords-and-definitions-g. php • Spitzer, Stephan. “Better Control of User Web Access of Electronic Resources. ” Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries 6 (2009): 91 -100. doi: 10. 1080/15424060902931997. • Wikipedia. "Wikipedia: The Free Encylopedia. " Google Analytics. http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Google_Analytics (accessed January 4, 2011).