Stories+Behind+the+Stats


 * [|Gail Dickinson]**, professor at [|Old Dominion University], presented a session at the [|Virginia Educational Media Association] Conference on turning your stats into stories. She presented three evaluative measures: user surveys, collection mapping, and circulation and use.

What do you like about the library? Did you find everything you need? What information resources do you use at home? What was the last book that you read that you liked?
 * Possible survey questions for students:**

What resources didn't we have? What's your biggest project during the year? What is the best time of day for your students to come to the library?
 * Possible survey questions for faculty:**


 * When evaluating collections there are baseline measures that can be obtained from library automation software:**
 * average age--can be somewhat misleading since it is giving you an average
 * circulation per student--much more informative than total number of circulations
 * loss rate--looking for a healthly loss rate--books are going to be lost. The only way to lower loss rate is to increase circulation.
 * date by decades--should not have many books from 70's or earlier
 * use by Dewey number--paints a great picture showing which subjects are using the library for projects/assignments
 * Date/decade/sections

> budget allotment > circulation/collection > circulation > student use of library > Circulation > Use of Resources > Time in the Library > circulation > attendance
 * Types of Data:**
 * Per Pupil
 * Per Teacher
 * Per Grade
 * Identified Students

Principles of library collections by [|David Loertscher] were presented. 1. Collection must be appropriate for the community. 2. There must be a curricular-oriented plan. 3. Acquisition system must match curricular properties. 4. Each type of media must be supported. 5. Collections are constantly changing. 6. Collections reflect democratic ideals, intellectual freedom, and diversity.

BUT, there is no substitute for your own investigative research.
1. Identify the need or perceived need: may be a lack of diversity in collection, concern over not having a wide range of reading levels or interests levels, concern over lack of currency. 2. Do a random sample: count the shelves, go to every nth shelf, look at the first 20 books on every nth shelf--Goal should be to sample 400 books.
 * Collection Analysis Process:**

=Final Thoughts:= Choose you plot. You can't analyze everything. No one analysis tells the whole story.