Re: [LM_NET] GEN: From Infotoday:Data Gathering: Why You Need the Numbers

["Brisco, Shonda" <briscos@TRINITYVALLEYSCHOOL.ORG>]

 The information that Sybil Finemel provided to us about Data Gathering
in the Media Center is exactly what I used for my presentation to my
administrators a couple of weeks ago.

If you have the time to read this article and follow the information
provided, you will have the available data that is necessary for
promotional presentations or defendable statistics for your library
programs and services.

For at least the last five years, I have been collecting data on:
circulation, number of students in the library daily, classes taught,
database usage, collection age, updated areas, etc.  Most of this can be
done easily through my Follett system (it will calculate the daily
circulation, collection age, and specifics regarding my collection and
number of patrons).  My databases are set-up for report delivery to my
email regarding how they are used throughout the months--how many times
the databases are accessed, when it was used, etc.  The only tedious
thing that I must do is the number of students that enter the library
--- I have to manually count each student each hour (if I'm not busy
working on other things)---and keep track of the number of classes that
I teach (or that "pop in" unannounced---that is the one thing I usually
forget to write down).

Keeping this information on an Excel spreadsheet isn't difficult---a
great summer project, if you're interested in this.  Then transforming
the information into a graphic presention is very easy.  (You can also
go online to the Microsoft website and follow the tutorial to learn how
to use this---also, the website provides some great templates, forms,
etc. for a variety of purposes, including education.)

Here's the information that Sybil sent earlier:

The Media Center
Data Gathering: Why You Need the Numbers ... And What You Can Do with
Them

http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep04/anderson.shtml


Take it from me...the business of keeping statistics will be invaluable
to you!

~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
briscos@trinityvalleyschool.org

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