We all want the same thing—more patrons, more visits, more engagement. Librarians are constantly being asked to deliver more with less. What's a librarian supposed to do? Believe it or not, using data can save time and budget, add resources and capacity to your team, and lead to big increases in patron engagement. And the best part is that doing so is as easy as it’s ever been.

Today, we're sharing the stories of three different libraries, in different parts of the country, serving different communities, and how their decision to become data-driven is increasing patron engagement.

The Library Systems & Their Challenges:
 

• Muskingum County Library System, OH: A mid-size six-location system struggling to identify their community's needs and align services to meet local demand.

• Laurens County Public Libraries, SC: A mid-size two-location-plus-bookmobile system unable to access accurate data through ILS reporting, lacking visibility into data to understand opportunities for service expansion, and spending lots of time and effort on processing the collection along with finances.

• Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium, IN: A 184-location system struggling to run reports and analyze data (often overlapping and repetitive) across a large consortium with different stakeholders, staff, composition, and resources. 
   

The Solution:

All three libraries implemented the LibraryIQ Platform—an analytics solution that seamlessly integrates with the ILS to analyze data about the collection, patrons, and community and provide actionable steps to improve engagement.

The Results:
 

• Muskingum County Library System, OH: Library leadership encouraged a data-driven culture and staff are fully confident that their collection and services are in alignment with community needs. Staff are saving time and becoming more efficient, which means more time is spent on services that actually drive engagement. Using data provides continuity of service and decision making, even with staff turnover.

• Laurens County Public Libraries, SC: Library staff adopted a data-driven mindset immediately. Real-time insights into data ensures budget is being allocated to materials patrons actually want—leading to an increase in material holds, patron satisfaction, and overall community engagement—and helped make a case for a new branch. Staff are able to deliver quality analysis and reporting to their Board and have reaped the benefits of the equivalence of another technical services member.

• Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium, IN: Regardless of library size within the consortium, library staff feel empowered to use data to make decisions. Between quickly identifying red flags, analyzing large data sets, and being able to easily produce reports for comparison and a variety of stakeholders, member libraries are saving time, resources, and budget.

Why LibraryIQ?

The LibraryIQ Platform is a centralized dashboard for all your library's data. It provides insight into:
 

• How patrons are using the library
• Where patrons and non-patrons are located
• Print and digital collections usage
• Budget allocation
• Metrics tracking like program attendance, meeting room usage, busy and slow traffic times

Implementation of the LibraryIQ Platform is seamless, allowing library staff to immediately start gleaning insights due to its:
 

• Integration with all ILS systems
   
• Intuitive interface, ease of use, and on demand analytics and reporting
   
• Incorporation into current processes and workflows
   

These three libraries made a pivotal decision to start using data to inform the way they provide service. Why? Because data arms us with the information we need to make smart budget and resource decisions to drive meaningful change within our communities. You can learn more about the LibraryIQ Platform here.

 

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