Putting Web Server Log Files to Work in Special Collections

by Craft, Anna R.

The study focuses on electronic use data from the website of the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) of the North Carolina State University Libraries, and examines tabulations of this data in order to learn about website use patterns and trends. The purpose of the study is to explore the usefulness of web server log files in tracing use trends and in its application to decision-making about collections and services.

The results identify some patterns and trends in the data, but present more questions than answers. More study is needed in this area; and non-electronic data measures, such as patron feedback and in-person collection use, are needed to potentially help explain this data and put it to use in Special Collections.