If you’re only concerned with basic collection management, you’re missing an opportunity to make a huge impact on your community. Libraries offer much more than collections, so why do we put considerable emphasis on collections and deprioritize other equally important facets of library operations? There’s power in understanding library performance at all levels - from collection makeup to circulation and patron demographics to patron engagement. Libraries that look beyond collection data to make decisions are seeing better engagement with programs, outreach, services and more. Let’s explore how understanding data that’s already at your fingertips can lead to big improvements in community service and engagement.  

Collection Data

We’re not suggesting you abandon collection data. We’re telling you to use it for more than just managing the collection.

•    Collection Makeup: Understanding the makeup of your physical and electronic collection - by code, material type, Dewey, BISAC, branch and vendor - is critical not only for selection, acquisition and weeding but also programming, marketing and outreach. Does your collection makeup reflect your community? Do you have a large YA section but your community is largely made up of retirees?

•    Circulation Data: Keep your finger on the pulse of what patrons want by analyzing circulation by branch, age, genre, material type and vendor. If there’s a certain area of the collection that’s getting more engagement than others, create a program to further promote it. What about areas of the collection that aren’t getting engagement? Maybe this indicates that the space could be better used for something else. 

Patron Data

Knowing who your patrons are and how and when they’re interacting with the library ensures you’re educated, empowered and always in control. 

•    Patron Demographic Data: It’s critical to know who uses the library and who doesn’t by education, income level, age group, etc. It allows you to create collections, programs and outreach services that are tailored to your community’s specific needs and result in the biggest return. If you have a culturally diverse community, are you offering enough representative services and materials? 

•    Patron Engagement Data: Patron needs and behaviors are constantly changing. Data is the only real way to keep up and guarantees that you’re allotting your budget and deploying your staff to the most impactful areas. If you know traffic is heavy after 4 PM, are you appropriately staffed and offering enough afterschool programs? 

So, where do you start? By using data - all of your library’s data. Start with the ILS - it’s full of collection performance, circulation and patron engagement data. You can also utilize free tools like the ones available from the U.S. Census where you can view and analyze demographic information for your specific service area. 

But if doing comprehensive data analysis seems completely unrealistic either based on time, resources or skill set, we get it. At LibraryIQ, we are library experts that have lived in your shoes and understand the challenges and constraints of library operation, which is why we created a library analytics platform to make it easy to understand all of your library’s data. The LibraryIQ Platform is a one-of-a-kind tool that integrates data from all commonly-used library tools and translates it into consumable, actionable insights that simplify data-driven decision making.
 

Visit the LibraryIQ website to learn more. 

SPONSORED BY LIBRARYIQ