Instruction Stats: Choosing a Category

This document is guided by the Libraries’ A Guide to the Libraries’ Instruction Stats System.

Instruction and outreach statistics are recorded in the Instructional Stats tab of the Instruction Manager system (Evans, Annex, WCL, and Cushing). One-on-one reference consultations are not recorded here; they go in RefAnalytics.

        flowchart TD
    START([Instruction or outreach activity]) --> Q0{"Is it a one-on-one reference<br/>interaction or consultation?"}

    Q0 -- Yes --> RA["Record in RefAnalytics<br/>not Instruction Manager"]
    Q0 -- No --> Q1{"Is it for a curricular course with a<br/>department and number and an<br/>instructor of record?"}

    Q1 -- Yes --> CLASS["Library Class<br/>Record class section and format:<br/>in person, online, or hybrid"]
    Q1 -- No --> Q2{"Is the audience a K-12 school group<br/>not affiliated with the university?"}

    Q2 -- Yes --> K12["K-12 School Visit<br/>Librarian-led tour or workshop"]
    Q2 -- No --> Q3{"Is it tied to new student orientation?<br/>New Student Conferences, Fish Camp,<br/>departmental or graduate orientation"}

    Q3 -- Yes --> ORI["Orientation Presentation"]
    Q3 -- No --> Q4{"Is it library-wide professional<br/>development or training<br/>for library staff?"}

    Q4 -- Yes --> INT["Internal Library Training"]
    Q4 -- No --> Q5{"Is it a tour of library<br/>spaces or exhibits?"}

    Q5 -- "Yes, library-led" --> TOUR["Library Tour"]
    Q5 -- "Campus tour stopping<br/>at the library" --> SKIP["Not recorded"]
    Q5 -- No --> Q6{"Was the primary purpose teaching<br/>library resources, research skills,<br/>or services?"}

    Q6 -- Yes --> WS["Workshop<br/>Reported to ACRL"]
    Q6 -- "No: tabling, promotion,<br/>quick interactions" --> OUT["Outreach<br/>Internal reporting only"]

    classDef instr fill:#dbeafe,stroke:#1e40af,color:#1e3a8a
    classDef out fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#166534,color:#14532d
    classDef elsewhere fill:#f3f4f6,stroke:#4b5563,color:#1f2937
    class CLASS,K12,ORI,INT,TOUR,WS instr
    class OUT out
    class RA,SKIP elsewhere
    

Edge cases

Workshop or Outreach?

Some outreach events include presentations or guided learning. If the primary purpose is instructional and participants are learning skills, concepts, resources, or research practices, record it as a Workshop so it is included in ACRL instructional reporting. Examples: Professional Development Series presentations, Aggie Moms presentations, Friends of the Libraries presentations, Peer Mentor Training.

Co-taught or multi-unit events

Only one person records the event; list the others in the Additional Library Instructor field. Duplicate entries inflate the data. For example, the Head of Student Engagement and Outreach enters Open House for all participating groups.

Multiple sessions with the same students

Use one entry and set Number of Sessions (same students); you will be prompted for each session date.

Entering on someone else’s behalf

Select the person who taught at the top of the form. Otherwise the stat is credited to whoever entered it.

Time spent with librarian

For presentations, enter the length of the session (often 50–90 minutes). For tabling, enter how long an individual spends with you (often about 5 minutes).

Requesting individual or group

Use the full department name. For activities originating in the Libraries, use Libraries-<unit name>.

CE Course, Credit Course, Other

Use these sparingly. Consult the Director of the Office of Information Literacy before choosing one, since most have only historical uses.