Budget/Evaluation

Data Lifecycle Management: What Has Got to Give

Will Hires

The presentation will review the definition and component stages of data lifecycle management and discuss relevant and associated issues. In addition, there will be a focus on elements of workflow management that has to accommodate data use, manipulation, sharing, and preservation. The objective is to provide an outline for understanding data management (DM) and explore opportunities for effective DM implementation. The audience will be asked to help, based on individual experiences, identify issues and obstacles to DM implementation and associated remedies to apply towards eliminating problems and bottlenecks. An attempt will be made to capture lessons from actual experiences with data that can be effectively applied against circumstances that may be known or routine. Additional information will be provided from existing case studies that will be able to illustrate methods of addressing DM needs under similar circumstances as well as identifying considerations applicable to unique situations. The learning expectations and objectives include the development of defining terminology, expressing ways to structure the issues relevant to DM, developing methods for effective implementation DM principles, and efficiently integrating DM in the normal workflow of a professional librarian.

Giving Them What They Want: Providing Information for a Serials Review Project

Kristin Calvert et al.

In preparation for a comprehensive serials review project, we created a homegrown Access database in order to bring together and analyze information about our collection from multiple sources. Bibliographic and order information were taken from the catalog; online access information was exported from the A‐to‐Z list; and in‐house as well as electronic use statistics were gathered. These were assembled into a single, easy‐to‐use form showing the comprehensive range of data for each title. From there, the information could be tailored to best serve each level of review during the decision making process. The discussion includes the challenges in assembling and presenting the data to diverse constituent groups, the results of the cancellation project and the role having a comprehensive database of information played throughout. Finally we will discuss the reasons for choosing this method of review over a commercial product and our suggestions for others in similar circumstances.

Put it Simply: Tools and Tips for Communicating Library Collections Data

Hilary Davis

In communicating library collections data to our stakeholders and administrators, our main goals are to be impactful, to make our points clearly and concisely, and to provide data that can move decisions forward. Accomplishing these goals requires time and creativity to experiment and refine—assets that can be hard to come by for busy librarians. This presentation will provide an introduction to a few easy-to-use data visualization tools and how they can be applied for communicating data about library collections. The main tools included in the overview will be Google Spreadsheets and Tableau Public (including the pros and cons of each) as well as guidance on how to tame Microsoft Excel’s graph design biases. We will also review basic tips to take into account when graphically communicating data on the use and value of library collections to stakeholders. Real world library data such as usage statistics and collection expenditures will be included in the demonstrations of these tools and tips. No programming skills will be needed! By the end of this session, attendees will be equipped with some practical strategies and tools that make it easier to share and make sense of library collections data.

An Academic Library's Efforts to Justify Materials Budget Expenditures

Steven Carrico

The LibValue Project: Three Reports on Values, Outcomes, and Return on Investment of Academic Libraries

Carol Tenopir et al.

An Absence of Allocations

Cathy Goodwin

In fall, 2010, academic departments at Coastal Carolina University were notified that they would not receive a defined allocation from the library for monographic purchases. Faculty were encouraged to request materials to support their courses, and were advised that requests would be filled on a first come, first purchased basis. At the end of the academic year, faculty were surveyed to determine satisfaction with an "absence of allocations.”

Contextualizing and Interpreting Cost per Use for Electronic Journals

Matthew Harrington et al.

Cost and usage have been consistent elements among both serials decision databases and commercial decision support systems, and the cost per use calculation has become a well‐established criterion for assessing electronic subscriptions. However, it is just a numerical value until it can be plotted along several axes related to its components. Mapping these calculated values within and across platforms and subjects allows them to be read through multiple contexts to define what is relatively “high” or “low,” and establishing the relative averages and benchmarks within these multiple contexts informs the difficult serials decisions often faced. This presentation looks at ways in which cost per use, as well as other cost and use calculations, has been incorporated into Virginia Tech’s relational database for serials decisions in order to arrive at an understanding of what those values mean in both the immediate context and the larger picture.

Electronic Resource Assessment: Adventures in Engagement

John Tofanelli et al.

Subscription-based electronic resources have come to represent an increasing proportion of library collections budgets. If we are going to secure the most value from such resources, ongoing assessment of them should be approached more systematically, with the full engagement of subject selectors. Recognizing this, Columbia University Libraries appointed an Electronic Resources Assessment Working Group in 2009 to include such resources within our current culture of assessment. Members of that working group, along with a supportive engineer from Library Systems, will talk about the ways in which selectors have been engaged through a three-pronged outreach effort: educational offerings in the use of electronic resource management tools; inspirational presentations from librarians who have improved collections using such tools; and the creation of an electronic resource renewal reminder system in Google Calendar. Strategically placed questions will involve the audience in the discussion: What is the current status of electronic resource assessment efforts at their libraries? What mechanisms do they currently have in place to encourage selector involvement in the process? Attendees can expect to learn of methods for engaging selectors more systematically in the process of electronic resource assessment.

The Value of Purchasing E-book Collections from a Large Publisher

Aaron K. Shrimplin et al.

Shared Advocacy through Data: Looking Beyond the High Cost of Journals

Jane Nichols et al.

Academic libraries have a long history of advocating for additional funding for their collections. One strategy is to partner with a Faculty Senate Library Committee (FSLC) to take on the cause. In spring 2011 OSU Libraries began this process by presenting our FSLC with a range of data they could use to tell our story to the Faculty Senate, campus administration, and other stakeholders. We will continue to work with them to advocate for our collections budget. As we explore these issues for our campus, larger questions come up. Which data best promotes libraries? What are additional strategies to pique campus stakeholders’ interest in a library's success? How can assessment data be used to strengthen our case for a better budget? Should libraries focus on our diminished purchasing power or our increased partnerships with faculty?