For two years librarians at Nevada State College have been collecting student-level data on library resource use and matching it to student success outcomes like retention and GPA. This presentation will share what we’ve learned about collecting, storing, and securing student-level data sets.

1. 15 Student Data Secrets that
Could Change Your Library,
Number 5 Will Shock You
Tiffany LeMaistre
Nevada State College

2. • 3,700 Students
• Founded in 2002
• All Digital Collection
About Nevada State College
First
Gen
65%
Non-
First
Gen
35%
White
42%
Hispanic
27%
Black or
African
American
10%
Asian
10%
Two or More
5%
Unknown
4%
Native
Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
2%

3. Overview
• Our Data Journey
• Getting Started
• Privacy
• Using the Data

4. Data Sources
• EZProxy logs
• Interlibrary loan requests
• Library computer use
• Group study room
reservations
• Library instruction
attendance
• Research consultations

5. Our Data Journey
• Planning
• Research
• Testing
2014
• Start of Data
Collection
• Feedback
2015 • Research
assessment
• Process
refinement
2016
• Reflection
• Continuing
Improvement
2017

6. 2014: The Why Year

7. Our Data Journey
• Planning
• Research
• Testing
2014
• Start of Data
Collection
• Feedback
2015 • Research
assessment
• Process
refinement
2016
• Reflection
• Continuing
Improvement
2017

8. 2015: The Whoa! Year

9. Our Data Journey
• Planning
• Research
• Testing
2014
• Start of Data
Collection
• Feedback
2015 • Research
assessment
• Process
refinement
2016
• Reflection
• Continuing
Improvement
2017

10. 2016: Redefining the How

11. Our Data Journey
• Planning
• Research
• Testing
2014
• Start of Data
Collection
• Feedback
2015 • Research
assessment
• Process
refinement
2016
• Reflection
• Continuing
Improvement
2017

12. 2017: Charting a Way Forward

13. Getting Started

14. 1. There is no handbook

15. 2. Look beyond the library for help

16. 3. Start by reproducing other research

17. 4. Be willing to take a detour

18. 5. D*ta is not a
four letter word

19. Privacy

20. 6. Transparency

21. 7. Encryption

22. 8. There is such a thing as too much data

23. 9. No backups

24. 10. Anonymize as soon as possible

25. 11. Aggregate before you share

26. Using the Results

27. Results
Library users at Nevada State are
significantly more likely to:
• Be retained
• Maintain good academic standing
• Earn a higher GPA
Students that participated in an
online library instruction module
were significantly more likely to:
• Earn a higher score on a research
assignment
• Use the library collection

28. 12. Continue to improve the machine

29. 13. Tell everyone

30. 14. Correlation still has value

31. 15. Visualization matters

32. 15. Visualization matters
Presented to administrators Presented to campus
65.07%
80.61%
Did not Participate Participated
Average Research Assignment Grade by
Library Instruction Module Participation
Results from an independent samples t-test
indicate that students who did not participate in
the library module (M = .651, SD = .399) scored
significantly lower on the research assignment
than students who participated in at least one
section of the library module (M = .806, SD =
.271). The mean difference was significant, t (128)
= -2.075, p = .020, r2 = .033.

33. Nevada State College Library

34. Resources
Related Reading
LeMaistre, T. (2016, February). Logging logins. Lightning Talk presented at the
SCELCapalooza, Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/tlemaistre/logging-logins
LeMaistre, T. (2016, April). A Proxy for Success: Analyzing EZProxy Logs to
Connect Resource Use to Student Success. Presented at the Electronic
Resources & Libraries (ER&L), Austin, Texas. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/tlemaistre/a-proxy-for-success
LeMaistre, T. (2016). Cost Per User: Analyzing EZProxy Logs for Assessment. In
Proceedings of the Charleston Library Conference. Charleston, SC: Purdue e-
Pubs. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284316291
Marineo, F. (2016, June). Canvas Commons: Scaling Library Instruction in the
LMS. Presented at the Library Instruction West, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved
from http://www.slideshare.net/FrancescaMarineo/canvas-commons-scaling-
library-instruction-in-the-lms
Nevada State College. (2014). Nevada State College: Facts & Figures. Retrieved
February 13, 2015, from http://nsc.nevada.edu/2069.asp
More Information
Cox, B., & Jantti, M. (2012, July 18). Discovering the Impact of Library Use and
Student Performance. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/discovering-impact-library-use-and-student-
performance
JISC. (2015). Library Analytics and Metrics Project. Retrieved February 9, 2015,
from http://jisclamp.mimas.ac.uk/
National Information Standards Organization. (2015). NISO Consensus Principles
on User’s Digital Privacy in Library, Publisher, and Software-Provider Systems
(NISO Privacy Principles). Retrieved from
http://www.niso.org/topics/tl/patron_privacy/
Oakleaf, M. (2010). The Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research
Review and Report. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries.
Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/value/val_report.pdf
Oakleaf, M. (2015). The Library’s Contribution to Student Learning: Inspirations
and Aspirations. In College and Research Libraries, v.76:no.3. Retrieved from
http://m.crl.acrl.org/content/76/3/353.full.pdf
OCLC. (2015). Log File Analysis. Retrieved February 13, 2015, Retrieved from
http://www.oclc.org/support/services/ezproxy/documentation/loganalysis.en.html
University of Minnesota Libraries. (n.d.). Library Data and Student Success.
Retrieved February 7, 2015, from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ldss/

35. Resources
Image Credits
Sunflowers by Marco Magrini, CC BY NC ND 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/24JYSq
Lock by Ekin Arbacloglu, CC BY NC ND, https://flic.kr/p/6idDqp
Rhode Island Hydrant Flood 69 by Forever 27, CC BY SA 2.0,
https://flic.kr/p/e5oe9
Fire by Liz West, CC BY 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/sRqX2
Mask by 派脆客 Lee, CC BY NC ND 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/fonSxF
Skittles by davidjmarland, CC BY NC 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/5RJTnp
Machine by Astrid Westvang, CC BY NC ND 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/HFBqoC
Megaphone by Leo Reynolds, CC BY NC 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/pFDdo
Xkcd webcomic, https://xkcd.com/552/
Brushstroke by Kevin Grockl, CC BY NC ND 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/7MCz14
Image Credits
Research Data Management by Janneke Staaks, CC BY NC 2.0,
https://flic.kr/p/nXubkZ
Focus by Mark Hunter, CC BY 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/7VHwy6
Downpour by Scott Patterson, CC BY NC 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/jvtqh9
Tools by Jullen Dumont, CC BY 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/dQaj3N
Rainbow by J_D_L, CC BY NC 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/3m6rRM
Puzzle by Liza31337, CC BY, https://flic.kr/p/5ubCmB
The Team by Utleg & teskt, CC BY 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/4JGGFW
Wheel by Summer Skyes 11, CC BY 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/qCuU7N
Detour by Shannon Kokoska, CC BY NC ND 2.0,
https://flic.kr/p/hx6K6