Request types – Request groups

• Request types indicate the type of question e.g. Local History, or Reference Medical
• Questions have a Request type set on entry to the system
• Request types can be changed
• Similar Request types can be linked into request groups for allocation, searching and reporting purposes

A Request type is always saved with every new question. The Request forms used to enter a question will generally set the Request type, but some Request forms will allow the Request type to be chosen from the drop down list of library defined Request types.

As the system administrator, you will need to set up the Request forms in your RefTracker system to match the specific needs of your library – we will cover this later in this manual.

A Request type can be changed as you work on a question, if required by using the Change screen.

Request types allow statistics to be obtained on the types of questions coming into your library. They can also allow questions to be allocated to staff according to their interest areas. This can be done automatically by the system when allocation by Request type is chosen in the request form used to enter the question, but can also be done manually based on the Request group graphics associated with results in search screens.

Request groups allow you to collect request types into broader groups, for example you may wish to analyse the reference questions you receive, by subject. To do this you would simply set up subject related request types within the reference request group, such as Medicine ref, Architecture ref, Humanities ref, Business ref, etc. Similarly you might collect ILL and Photocopy requests under the Document delivery group so that both types of questions can be handled by Document delivery staff.

Request types and Request groups are set up to meet the specific needs of your library using their respectively named code tables – we will set these code tables to meet your library’s needs later in this manual.