Faced with a highly diverse combination of externally and internally collected data (web visits, gate counter, collection usage, subject analysis, budgets, space use, reference help interactions, etc.), academic libraries have rapidly mastered the value and use of analytics. Whether analyzing prospective subscription packages to determine their value for an institution’s research activities or reviewing usage data drawn from the local digital repository, libraries want to extract meaning from the increasing volume of library data. What does that data look like? How should that data be managed? And in what combinations is that data most enlightening?

We have the data and the report. Looking beyond the simple statistical report (how many individuals attended a program or searched a database), what might be best practices in using that data in support of long-term planning and decision making? What types of trends do libraries believe they might be seeing? Wrestling with library data should yield significant insights about the institution's needs. Libraries and those who serve them will benefit from understanding how data is being wrangled, mixed, and interpreted.

Part 1 of this webinar, Analytics Behind the Scenes, will be held on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

Part 2 of this webinar, Actionable Data Analysis, will be held on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

Confirmed speakers in these two 90-minute sessions include:

• Suzanna Conrad, Associate Dean for Digital Technologies & Resource Management, University Library, California State University, Sacramento
• Steven Braun, Data Analytics and Visualization Specialist, Northeastern University Libraries
• Corey Harper, Data Scientist / Sr. Tech. Researcher, Elsevier Labs
• Emily Guhde, Director of Library Assessment, Georgetown University Library
• Rachel Lewellen, Head of Assessment and Program Management, Harvard Library
• Dr. Frankie Wilson, Head of Assessment, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford