CTT activities
Count The Traffic (CTT)
Standardized list
Fifteen activities
| A |
Walks or stands alone | Covers standing or walking around without browsing and without relating to library staff or other users. |
| B |
Walks or stands in company | Participates in a group of two or more persons that stands or walks around without browsing and without relating to library staff. |
| C |
Sits alone |
Sits alone without relating to media, to library staff or to other users. |
| D |
Sits in a group without media |
Participates in a group of two or more persons that does not relate to books or other media or to library staff. |
| E |
Browses alone |
Covers browsing or scanning of items on shelves while standing or walking around. |
| F |
Browses in company |
Participates in a group of two or more persons that browse or scan items on shelves together while standing or walking around. |
| G |
Sits alone reading (or writing) | Sits and reads by her/himself. Includes individual work – reading and or writing – without using ICT. Includes listening to music, watching videos and using other media – but not the use of computers. |
| H |
Sits in a group with media | Participates in a group where at least one person relates to books or other media. [Use (10) for groups with active PC]. |
| I |
Sits alone with mobile computer | Sits alone with active mobile computer (active screen) |
| J |
Sits in a group with mobile computer(s). | Participates in a group where at least one person is using a mobile PC (active screen). |
| K |
Sits alone with stationary computer. | Sits alone with active computer (active screen). |
| L |
Sits in a group with stationary computer(s) | Participates in a group of two or more persons that is using one or more library PCs (active screen). |
| M |
Contact with staff | Covers all direct contact with staff. Here we want to register activities where staff spends time with the users, whether it involves speaking, writing, demonstrating or walking around. |
| N | Queuing |
Covers all visible waiting for service or facilities, whether in a proper line or not: waiting for staff, waiting for access to equipment, toilet queues, aso. |
| O |
Other |
Activities not covered by 1-14. |
Adapting the list
CTT data tend to be most useful if they can be compared across libraries. If you want to make changes, we recommend that you subdivide rather than reorganize existing categories. The subdivisions can then be recombined for comparative purposes.
Category C may for instance be subdivided into
- C1 – Sits alone [awake]
- C2 – Sits alone sleeping
If food or phones are important to you, category D – and most of the others – may be divided into
- D1 – Sits in a group without media [no food, no phone]
- D2 – Sits in a group without media – while eating
- D3 – Sits in a group without media – while talking on the phone
You may also introduce totally new categories – like using copying machines and micro-film readers – by subdividing the category Other.
- O1 – Using copying machine(s)
- O2 – Using micro-film reader(s)
- O2 – Other
Sex and age
The depth of the data can be increased by adding information on sex (easy) and age (harder). You should, however, take into account the cost of adding information.
Observation is demanding work. The bigger the library, the more time it takes to do an observation round. If a single person is involved, he or she can only be expected to register about 150-200 persons per hour (which must include a 15-20 minute rest period between round).
In smaller libraries, with less than fifty simultaneous users, information on sex can easily be added. With less than twenty users, one could also add age estamates.
We recommend four broad age categories:
- children – for instance up to twelve years of age
- teenagers – or youth from about 13 to 19
- adults - from twenty to sixty-five
- seniors – above 65
