What is a data-driven Academic Library?
Aug 12, 2015
Data Driven – What does that mean?
“Data driven means that progress in an activity is compelled by
data, rather than by intuition of personal experience.”
(Wikipedia)
XKCD: HTTP://IMGS.XKCD.COM/COMICS/BOYFRIEND.PNG
Develop a plan – Part 1
Refine the question
• Who is coming to the library? Space • Who is checking out books? ILS • Who is using electronic resources?
Web
Develop a plan – Part 2
Look for data sources
• Space: turnstile data, head-counts, room reservation systems
• ILS: circulation reports • Web: web analytics, link resolver data,
vendor usage reports
Library Data Sources
Systems
Collections, Acquisitions
Financials
Circulation
E-resources
Resource Sharing
Web Analytics
Gate Counts
Workflow
Reference
Bibliographic Instruction
Cataloging/Metadata
Preservation
Patron Input
Patron Surveys
Focus Groups
Social Media Analytics
Collect Data If the data exists in a system, retrieve it in
analyzable format.
If the data doesn’t exist, begin to collect the data.
Derive Insights
• Analyze and visualize
• Slice and dice the data in a variety of ways
XKCD: HTTP://IMGS.XKCD.COM/COMICS/CORRELATION.PNG
Circulation by Patron Group
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
10,479
27,565 35,548 37,269
44,359 38,505
30,810 42,534
-12%
FY14
29,715
12,315
FY13
76,737
34,048
37,307
FY12
87,585
37,118
FY11
91,359
39,751
FY10
102,793
42,604
FY09
99,457
39,895
FY08
89,641
35,221
FY07
76,936
31,644
FY06
85,089
33,070 Graduate Faculty Staff Other Carrel Resource Sharing
Undergraduate
Report run date: 11/25/2013
Circulation by Patron Group (%)
39% 41% 39% 40% 41% 44% 42%44% 41%
10% 10% 8% 8% 7% 7% 7% 9%9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
FY09 FY07 FY08 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY06
35% 36% 41% 41% 43% 43% 43% 40% 44%
Resource Sharing Carrel Other Staff Faculty Graduate Undergraduate
Report run date: 11/25/2013
Circulation - Undergraduates
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
FY12
35,548
FY11
-22%
FY14
10,479
FY13
27,565
FY07
30,810
FY06
37,307
FY09
42,534
FY08
38,505 37,269
FY10
44,359
3,534
24,805
13,700
18,692
12,118
18,489
9,076
22,773
14,534
23,382
12,166
24,504
12,765
29,413
14,946
28,348
14,186
6,945
Undergrad - Fresh, Soph, Junior Undergrad - Senior
Report run date: 11/25/2013
Library Circulation: Monthly Charges by Undergraduates - FY2011-FY2014 Comparison
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
-35%
Mar Apr May Jun
-25%
Feb Jan Dec
2013 2014
2012 2011
Recommendations
Use the insights derived from the data to make
actionable recommendations.
XKCD: HTTP://IMGS.XKCD.COM/COMICS/CONVINCING.PNG
Skills
• Data Capture
• Programming & database skills • Business domain knowledge
• Data Analysis
• Spreadsheets • Reporting tools • Statistics
• Presentation
• Visualization • Storytelling
Tools
• Quantitative Analysis
• Spreadsheets: Excel, Google Spreadsheets • Stats Tools: R, SATA, SPSS
• Qualitative Analysis
• ATLAS.ti • Survey Tools
• Qualtrics, Webmonkey, Google Forms • Visualization
• Tableau, Many Eyes
Thank You!
Sarah Tudesco Assessment Librarian
Yale University Library
@studesco