1. Data gathering and analysis.
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2. Little known facts about me
• Why am I passionate about data an
measuring value?
• My first job as a librarian was as a serials
librarian at Telecom Australia (Telstra).
• The Telstra library does not exist anymore.
• A defining moment was hearing the head
of libraries for BHP give a paper on
library metrics.
• She delivered the paper after the library
had been closed down.
• It was acknowledge the library was doing a
good job but it had to deliver more value
than it cost the company.
3. Questions
• How do you measure the
value of a library?
• What data do you need?
• How do you present it?
• Use it?
5. About the Bialik Library
• Supports an independent multi communal Jewish
day school with a just over 1,000 students in
Melbourne Australia.
• Academically Bialik is in the top 10 VCE (Victoria
Certificate of Education) schools.
• Supports a Reggio Emilia and Cultures of
Thinking/ Project Zero philosophy.
• Bialik College celebrates its 70th anniversary
in 2012.
6. Bialik College Library Statistics
• We now have to staff two floors with similar staff
levels in a library that attracts more students and
more classes.
Staff FTE 2010 2011 2012 2013
TOTAL 4.66 5.06 5.26 4.2
Info Desk Hours
2010 2011 2012 2013
Per Weeks
TOTAL 46 90 90 90
7. Bialik College Library Statistics
Usage of the collection has doubled because it is
smaller, more focused, relevant and appealing.
Average Monthly Issues (Loans)
Note: 2012 shows Jan / Feb averages
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
All Issues All Issues All Issues All Issues Book All Issues Book All Issues Book
Issues Issues Issues
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
8. Bialik College Library Statistics
We becoming a one to one laptop school so equipment
loans have dropped but book loans have increased
slightly. Average Monthly Issues (Loans)
Note: 2012 shows Jan / Feb averages
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
All Issues All Issues All Issues All Issues Book All Issues Book All Issues Book
Issues Issues Issues
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
9. Our data gathering is driven by the priorities
outlined in our business plan.
A. Curriculum B. Independent Learning C. Literacy
•Our main objective (50%) is to support •A key secondary objective (20%) is to •A key secondary objective(20%) is to
the curriculum to maximise each support independent thinking so supporting reading and literacy as a core
student's academic potential. students can learn to learn. life skill.
Support Bialik College's Identity
•We will protect and preserve the Bialik archive material in our care. (10%)
What we deliver How we deliver
•Physical and online content. •Timely, accurate, and authoritative products and services,
•Text and multimedia content. •Delivered in an open, accountable and collegial way, with a,
•Commercial and free content. •User focus that recognises different age and learning
•Curriculum resources. levels, and
•Reference and enquiry services. •Delivered in the most cost effective way - automate or
•Research and study skill programmes. outsource back end processing so library staff can focus on
direct engagement with students and staff.
•Literacy and reading programmes.
•Cybersafety programmes.
•Study, reading, and social spaces.
Face to Face Online / eLibrary Physical Collections Spaces / Buildings
Reporting and Review
10. We are endeavouring to tie reporting and
accountability to our priorities
• We will implement evidence based reporting across everything we do.
• We will measure both Quantitative (What) and Qualitative (How).
• Working towards linking reporting to our budgeting.
• We will use industry recognised, tested and proven metrics.
Content
•The content we purchase, acquire, or Curriculum Learning Literacy Identity
build to deliver on our objectives. 50% 20% 20% 10%
Activities / Programmes
•The face-to-face and online activities
we complete to deliver our objectives.
Staff
•The staff we need to deliver
on our objectives.
Systems
•The open source & commercial
systems we use to deliver on our
objectives.
Facilities
•The building and spaces we use to
deliver on our objectives.
11. We endeavour to best practice and
recognised library reporting standards
• We will use recognised library
standards and best practise
when we report what we do
and how we do it.
• We will report against the
priorities in our library plan.
• We will be open and
transparent in our reporting.
• We will be individually
responsible to our portfolios.
12. Data gathering and analysis – WHY?
• To measure, understandand
improveyour library service.
– To identify gaps so you can
– Identify future priorities.
• To measures patron satisfaction.
• To measure against stated goals
and objectives.
• To report to the school on WHATand
WHYthe library does what it does.
• To report the VALUEof the library
to the school.
13. Data gathering and analysis – WHAT
• What the collection is doing to deliver value.
[Library ILMS]
– Checkout, Returns, In house
circulation, reservations, bookings.
• Returns + In house reservations measure the staff /
volunteer time needed to re-shelve.
• Which patrons are borrowing what
gives insight into whether the collection
is supporting learning.
– Collection turn over.
[loans divided by size of collection]
– Age of the collection.
[what is out of date]
14. Data gathering and analysis – WHAT
• What are the staff doing to deliver value:
– Room booking software
– Teacher timetable
• Patron perceptions of the library
– Do the patron’s think the library is
delivering value. Be careful of the nun effect.
– Are the library staff doing work they
like doing but which is low value and
neglecting work which is seen as
more valuable?
15. Data gathering and analysis
• Many libraries gather and analysis
data and SHARE the findings.
– Victorian Public Libraries Network
Annual Survey of Victorian Public
Libraries.
http://www.plvn.net.au/node/18
– Council of Australian University
Librarians
http://www.caul.edu.au/caul-
programs/caul-statistics
– Institute of Education
Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/sc
hool.asp
16. CASE STUDY:
Data gathering and analysis - Public Libraries
• Many of the stats public libraries collect
are also relevant to schools and could be
used to allow schools to benchmark their
library service against other schools or
against agreed minimum standards.
– Population served
– Number of print items
– Number of electronic items including eBooks
– Electronic as % of collection
– Number of electronic items added
– % of collection under 5 years old
– Total Loans
– Stock turnover – total loans / collection size
17. CASE STUDY:
Data gathering and analysis - Public Libraries
• Many of the stats public libraries collect
are also relevant to schools and could be
used to allow schools to benchmark their
library service against other schools or
against agreed minimum standards.
– Average visits per patron
– Resources per capita
– Average loans per patron
– Number of bookings
– Number of Literature Sessions and number of attendees
– Does the library have a Facebook page + how many like
– Does the library have a Twitter account + how many
followers
– Total hours opening per week
18. CASE STUDY:
Data gathering and analysis - Public Libraries
• Many of the stats public libraries collect
are also relevant to schools and could be
used to allow schools to benchmark their
library service against other schools or
against agreed minimum standards.
– Total public floor space
– Number of meeting rooms
– EFT library staff with work related university
qualifications
– EFT library staff with work related TAFE
qualifications
– Total expenditure
– Staff costs as a % of total expenditure
– Expenditure per patron
– Cost per loan
19. CASE STUDY:
LibQual
• Based on ServQUAL.
• Developed by the American Association of
Research Libraries.
• Focus on libraries within learning institutions.
• Provides a rich source of qualitativeand
quantitativeinformation and feedback.
• Shows where a library is over servicing as well
as under servicing.
• 22 standard questions with the ability to add
additional questions if part of a consortia.
• Publishes norms so you canbenchmark.
• Involves fees as LibQUAL processes the data and
provides a detailed report.
• The survey would be too difficult for Primary
and Middle School students to complete.
• See: http://www.libqual.org/about/about_survey/tools
20. CASE STUDY:
LibQual
• Measures patron satisfaction against.
– Access to information
e.g. The library has the electronic
services I need.
– Affect of Service
e.g. There are library staff who have
knowledge to answer user questions.
– Library as Place
e.g. A library space that inspires study
and learning.
– Personal Control
e.g. a library web site that enables me
to find information on my own.
21. CASE STUDY:
LibQual
• Radar charts make
complex data easy to
understand.
• Shows over and under
servicing and helps
negate the nun effect.
• Libraries use LibQUAL to
track changes over time
or
• Track differences
between user groups.
• See
http://library.manoa.hawaii.edu/a
bout/libqual03/results.html
22. CASE STUDY:
Net Promoter Score
• Developed by Fred Reichheldand Rob Markey.
• Measures a user’s relationship and perception
towards a service provider.
– Markey: “The Net Promoter Score is designed to be radically
simple, not because it is statistically better, but because it is
statistically fine and that simplicity appeals to frontline
employees. Even CEOsschool principals can understand it.”
“On a scale of 1 to 10 would you recommend
the library’s fiction collection to a friend?”
• Having to stand by a recommendation to a friend subtly helps
negate the nun effect. The respondent is more circumspect.
• See: Reichheld, F. F. (2003). The one number you need to grow.
Harvard Business Review, 81(12), 46-55.
and http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2878
23. Measuring collection usage is
becoming more important.
• New vendors are offering new products to make
it easier to measure and report.
• Smarter and automated ways of collection
development and promotion as well as
• Report use and VALUE. For example:
http://www.collectionhq.com/
24. EBSM® Key Performance Indicators
EBSM KPI KPI Rationale
Grubby Stock Users should not be expected to borrow items which are physically
unattractive. This is a major cause of user dissatisfaction.
Dead Stock Users should not be expected to wade through hundreds of dormant items
of stock in the search for useful or desirable choices. This is a major cause of
user dissatisfaction.
Popular Author Users have an expectation of finding a good selection of works by favourite
authors or on popular subjects on shelves at all times. Lack of such provision
Provision is a major cause of customer desertion.
Popular Subject A good range of material in the most popular subjects areas at a branch is a
key borrower requirement.
Provision
Overstock Subject Large quantities of unused and unwanted non fiction stock in any subject
area, is counter productive to user satisfaction and convenience. It is also a
Areas sign of wasteful provision in the past, based on assumptions about demand
rather than analytical evidence.
Understocked Supply should always try to match demand in non fiction subject provision.
Failure to provide for this is a major cause of customer desertion.
Subject Areas
http://www.ebsm.com/EBSMKPI.html
25. Case Study:
The value of a school collection &TLs
• At Bialik we are mapping our collection back
to the new Australian Curriculum starting with
the three cross-curriculum priorities.
– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and
cultures
– Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia
– Sustainability.
26. Case Study:
The value of a school collection &TLs
• We use our ILMS to set up “stats codes” so we
can measure the use of these collections.
– INJF Indigenous - Junior Fiction
– INJNF Indigenous - Junior Non Fiction
– INSF Indigenous - Senior Fiction
– INSMM Indigenous - Senior Multimedia
27. Case Study:
The value of a school collection &TLs
• It is early days but initial exercise should:
– Make this information more accessible for students
and staff. Initial feedback is positive.
– Shows leadership in relation to the curriculum.
– Shows responsible use of collection budget.
– Demonstrates the value of Teacher Librarians.
See http://elib.bialik.vic.edu.au/library-resources/275-curriculum-signs-resources
28. Case Study:
Infographics
• Graphic visual representations
of information.
• Make your narrative engaging
and accessible.
• Move beyond charts and graphs.
• See
http://visual.ly
http://piktochart.com
29. Case Study:
Brisbane Grammar School
• Aim to make their year-in-review
reports interesting and engaging.
• Avoid lots of text.
• Use photos and
graphs to tell
their story.
• Graphs like photos
can say a thousand
words.
30. Case Study:
Impact of Library Usage
• University of Wollongong Library
• 21,000 students academic performance
in grade based subjects (pass fail
subjects were excluded) against their
use of the library ONLINE and print
services.
• There is a very strong nonlinear
correlation between average usage of
resources and average student marks.
Capturing business intelligence required for targeted
marketing, demonstrating value, and driving process improvement.
Brian L Cox*, Margie Jantti University of Wollongong Library
31. Case Study:
Impact of Library Usage
• University of Wollongong Library
• 21,000 students academic performance
in grade based subjects (pass fail
subjects were excluded) against their
use of the library ONLINE and print
services.
• There is a very strong nonlinear
correlation between average usage of
resources and average student marks.
Capturing business intelligence required for targeted marketing,
demonstrating value, and driving process improvement.
Brian L Cox*, Margie Jantti University of Wollongong Library
32. Case Study:
Impact of Library Usage
• University of Wollongong Library
• All else being equal,… only half of
one percent of the high users fail
(0.47%), whereas 19% of nonusers
fail. In other words, nonusers are 40
times more likely to fail than high
users of library electronic resources.
• The story is similar for loans, but not
as dramatic.
Capturing business intelligence required for targeted
marketing, demonstrating value, and driving process improvement.
Brian L Cox*, Margie Jantti University of Wollongong Library
33. Case Study:
Impact of Library Usage
• “All Libraries still have a very large role to
play in managing access and collection
development. Over time, this is likely to
become an increasingly tenuous space
to occupy.”
• “It is not inconceivable to imagine a future
where collection development has been
largely homogenized, and access and
discovery can be administered much
more efficiently by external organizations.”
Capturing business intelligence required for targeted
marketing, demonstrating value, and driving process improvement.
Brian L Cox*, Margie Jantti University of Wollongong Library
34. Case Study:
Impact of Library Usage
• So what is UWL’s value proposition?
• “Ultimately, libraries are about connecting
authors to readers.”
• “Libraries are the intermediaries, the
facilitators in this process, and there are four
main points at which UWL can add value:
engagement, access, discovery, and
collection development.”
Capturing business intelligence required for targeted
marketing, demonstrating value, and driving process improvement.
Brian L Cox*, Margie Jantti University of Wollongong Library
35. Case Study:
Impact of Library Usage
• So what is UWL’s value proposition?
• What the authors are proposing is not to occupy
another space between the database
vendors, search engine providers, and
clients, however, but to occupy an entirely new
space.
• If the library is simply an intermediary that helps
to connect authors to readers, then inspiring a
love of reading and learning is a far more
rewarding role than showing clients where to
click, regardless of how sophisticated such
instruction becomes.
Capturing business intelligence required for targeted
marketing, demonstrating value, and driving process improvement.
Brian L Cox*, Margie Jantti University of Wollongong Library
36. What do you do Now
• Insist on your ILMS vendors giving slice
and dice and drill down reporting.
• Is your ILMs data good enough to give
you meaningful information?
• Insist that your database and eBook
provides be Counter compliant.
http://www.projectcounter.org
• What new data skills do you need NOW?
• Learn how to use spreadsheets and
pivot tables.
• Explore if you can benchmark with
another school / schools.
Not just showing the overall loans data does not tell the whole story. Only showing the total loans does not show what has happened with book circulation. Digging deeper there are also lots of individual stories of the difference the library is making to individual student learning and literacy. This is the real story, the real narrative, the real vale of a school library.
If we start doing that does not meet these priorities we need to ask ourselves why are we doing it. These priorities also help us identify what type of data we need to capture.
Itis great to have a Principal and key teachers who value the library. But Principals can come and go.Take nothing for granted and think about EVIDENCE you need to demonstrate value.What narrative will you use?
In many population survey’s librarians are ranked highly along with nuns and are the polar opposite of politicians and used car salesmen. Therefore be careful of respondents that tell you what they think you want to hear because they are already positively predisposed towards libraries and librarians. If respondents hide the truth they may also hide the problems. In many respect it is more important to use surveys to identify the things that need improving than to keep telling you about the things that are working.
The National Center for Education Statistics is the primary US federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S.
Patron satisfaction: ServQual was designed to meet the challenge of measuring the intangible (the services sector) rather than the quality of physical objects in the manufacturing sector.
Patron satisfaction: ServQual was designed to meet the challenge of measuring the intangible (the services sector) rather than the quality of physical objects in the manufacturing sector.Access to information – the electronic services I need.Affect of Service – Library staff who have knowledge to answer user questions.Library as place – a library space that inspires study and learning.Personal Control – a library web site that enables me to find information on my own.
Radar charts are a great visual tool that presents complex data in an easy to understand way.AC: Access to information – the electronic services I need.AS: Affect of Service – Library staff who have knowledge to answer user questions.LP: Library as place – a library space that inspires study and learning.PC: Personal Control – a library web site that enables me to find information on my own.
Use an even scale Likhert scale so people can’t fence sit. If you use a five point scale how useful it lots of threes when you are trying to measure satisfaction.