5 Library Data
Welcome to our Module on Library Data!
In this module, we will think about our library data, including:
- Library annual reports
- Your situation and what is the best data for it
- Elevator pitch
- Student success and learning analytics
We encourage you to do as many of the activities as you can. If you are short on time, remember that these are the requirements for this module:
- Read/watch some of the resources provided
- Attend our live session 7/14
- Submit your discussion thread on your best library data by 7/18
Learning Goal
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Critique library annual reports
- Analyze your situation and determine what is the best data for it
- Create an elevator pitch
Homework for our second session
Library Annual Reports (recommended)
Skim several library annual reports. Here are several examples:
- LOC: https://www.loc.gov/static/portals/about/reports-and-budgets/documents/annual-reports/fy2020.pdf
- NYPL: https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/annual_report_2020_0.pdf
- Purdue: https://www.lib.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/admin/annualreports/Annual_Report_2018.pdf
- Rutgers: https://spark.adobe.com/page/qZ6IY83uneNlp/
- Western Michigan: https://wmich.edu/library/report
Bonus points if you find other examples and share them with the group in our Chat area.
Consider these questions:
- What works?
- What could be improved?
Your Situation (required)
Gather any relevant information on your library mission, values, goals, etc. and any that your institution has.
Consider these questions:
- What is most important to your library and to your institution?
- What is unique about your library and/or your institution?
- Choose one goal/priority to focus on in your library.
Here is an example you can use to get clear for your institution:
- Institution: Example College
- Most important thing from mission/values: Affordability
- Most unique thing about library/institution: Many first generation college students
- Current Library Goal: OER support
Now fill it in for your institution:
- Institution:
- Most important thing from mission/values:
- Most unique thing about library/institution:
- Current Library Goal:
Also, you likely have someone local who is knowledgeable about research and data. You might have an Office of Institutional Effectiveness on your campus. Data people might not reach out to you, but they often love to answer your questions if you reach out to them. Find out what is available on your campus and ask them what was said about the library in the latest student satisfaction survey.
Lastly, do you know what an IRB is? Research involving human participants goes through an Institutional Review Board. Do you have one on your campus? For example: https://research.mnsu.edu/institutional-review-board/
What is your best library data? (required)
In April 2021, Johnna and Jill did a presentation. Johnna talked about the importance of relationships and considering your audience. Jill shared some ideas about how to improve on library stats such as striving to show impact, value, reach and/or satisfaction. You can review that presentation here: https://mediaspace.minnstate.edu/media/How+does+COVID+impact+our+library+stats+and+what+can+we+do+about+itF/1_rjgex2xv
Consider these questions:
- Who are you trying to reach? Administrators? A certain department? How do they feel about the library currently?
- What would you really like to show evidence for if you could (impact, value, reach and/or satisfaction)?
- What is your biggest success story from 2021?
Another thing to ponder, do you keep a spreadsheet of your key library data year over year? If not, here is an idea of what that could look like:
P.S. In case you are interested in another resource, ideas about impact, value, reach and satisfaction came from this book: https://www.elsevier.com/books/libraries-and-key-performance-indicators/appleton/978-0-08-100227-8
Elevator Pitch (recommended)
Brainstorm:
- Who are you talking to?
- What are your library goals?
- What is unique about your library?
- Why is it important?
- What impact does your library have?
- What is your most impressive number? (eg. our ebook usage is up 75% over last year!)
- What is your question for the end of your pitch? (eg. what is the most frustrating thing about your research process currently?)
- What DEI initiative can you include?
Template:
(For talking with instructors) Our library provides more than learning resources. We help instructors improve their assignments, we teach research skills and information literacy, and we help students succeed. We recently increased our online resources 30% in response to COVID and our OneSearch usage is up 48%. How can we help you?
Want more ideas?: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/elevator-pitch-examples (Note that you have to provide your email address to get the templates, which is not required. Skimming through the text is just fine.)
Suggested activity:
Draft two 30-second elevator speeches for two different situations/audiences eg. your college president, a volunteer, a benefactor, a professional networking event, etc.
Then:
- Pick your favorite of your two elevator speeches to read to the group. Practice it a few times OUT LOUD before our session, preferably with a friend. You also could record it, listen, and revise it.
- Follow up reflection – what was one thing you learned?
- Now go use those elevator speeches with people!
Another way to try this – Elevator speech mad libs: https://www2.archivists.org/sites/all/files/Mad_%20Libs_Elevator_Pitch_2021.pdf
- Write down who are you talking to (eg. administrator or teaching faculty)
- Write down something your library does beyond just offering resources
- Write down something your library has improved recently and by how much
- What DEI initiative can you include?
Student Success and Learning Analytics (optional)
Skim:
- A Comprehensive Primer to Library Learning Analytics Practices, Initiatives, and Privacy Issues – https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/24374/32199
- Keeping Up With… Learning Analytics – https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/learning_analytics
Consider these questions:
- Do you think libraries should be trying to show they contribute to student success?
- Are you concerned about ethical issues with learning analytics?
A bit more on ethical issues and privacy . . .
Check out the Examples of Data Classifications here: https://www.minnstate.edu/system/ogc/dataprivacy/toolbox.html
A few notes from the reading:
- Student privacy – users’ personal data and/or information behavior, limiting access to sensitive data
- Algorithm bias, widespread data trading and hoarding, and surveillance creep
- Informed consent, data collection, data retention
- Re-identification after anonymization
- Small sample size
A few resources for benchmarking and peer analysis:
- Cool link Johnna found: https://ivygroup.com/blog/benchmarking-library-performance/
- IPEDS: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data
- ACRL’s Benchmark: https://www.ala.org/acrl/proftools/benchmark
What is your best library data?
Reflect on all you have gathered and discuss with your colleagues:
- What new thing do you want to do?
- What is most important to your library and to your institution?
- What is unique about your library and/or your institution?
- Choose one goal/priority to focus on in your library.
- Who are you trying to reach? Administrators? A certain department? How do they feel about the library currently?
- What would you really like to show evidence for if you could (impact, value, reach and/or satisfaction)?
- What is your biggest success story from 2021?
- You are welcome to share your elevator pitch if you are willing!
- What is the atmosphere like on your campus as far as student success and learning analytics?
- Anything you want to say about the tension between data initiatives and patron privacy?
