Reference Transaction Analysis

Reference transaction analysis evaluates a library's reference service by systematically characterizing individual reference encounters, both the effort and expertise they demand and whether they succeed. Two complementary instruments anchor the method. The READ Scale (Reference Effort Assessment Data), developed by Bella Karr Gerlich and G. Lynn Berard, replaces simple tally counts with a six-point scale that records the effort, knowledge, skills, and teaching a transaction requires, so that a quick directional question and a complex research consultation are no longer counted as equal. The Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP), created by Marjorie Murfin and Gary Gugelchuk, is a standardized, validated instrument that captures both patron-reported success and the factors associated with successful and unsuccessful transactions. Together they turn reference statistics from raw counts into actionable evidence about quality, staffing, and training.