Legal Research

Library Statistics Presentation 101

Check out "How to make graphs that work" by Seth Godin

He offers four simple pieces of advice:

1. Don't let popular spreadsheets be in charge of the way you look
2. Tell a story
3. Follow some simple rules
4. Break some other rules

Check out the post for more.

Libraries have to communicate difficult (and sometimes boring) data like circulation numbers and acquisitions savings often, and especially in management, public and annual reports.

The advice in this posting can be very useful in getting your message across. (There are quite a few books on the subject as well - check your library, or Amazon).

I've seen a few good ideas such as:

- Replacing the bars on a bar chart with full length kid pictures - showing growth in children's services for storytime attendance and circulation.

- replacing the bars on a bar chart with dollar bills showing cost savings or increased revenue from grants.

- using canes to show increased services to shut-ins.

- filling in the colours of pie charts and bars with local maps or recognizable patterns.

It communicates faster. If it's not something you want to communicate it shouldn't be there in the first place.

The output from SirsiDynix reporting, analytical and statistical solutions like Directors Station and Web Reporter go a long way to supporting this type of anaylsis quickly.

Stephen

Full post as published by Stephen's Lighthouse on July 21, 2009 (boomark / email).