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Statistics (was RE: WA STATE LIBRARY)



Peter's response made me think of something (other than the much-maligned
genealogists, who probably are our best and most passionate advocates).
Maintaining statistics is probably something we haven't talked about much
and should be a cornerstone of our archival work.

Why?

Because the bean counters rule the world and our individual budgets.  Our PR
efforts are critical, but equally so are the numbers we use to back things
up.  Show a little razzamataz, and back it up with a spreadsheet if you
value your operating budget.  Among the several things I track in my
reference requests database is hours spent on a project.  That way, even if
I only see five people a month, but I'm spending 5-6 hours per request, I'm
using a significant portion of my time for public service.

It's a lousy part of the job, but necessary.

DS

______________________________________
Daniel Sokolow, Archives Coordinator
David Taylor Archives
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
155 Community Drive
Great Neck, NY 11021
mailto:dsokolow@nshs.edu

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