This document summarizes the Library Analytics Toolkit project at Harvard Library Lab. The toolkit allows users to navigate between subject areas and view circulation trends and statistics over time to help with collection development decisions. The initial phase focused on collection data but future expansions are planned to include expenditure data and other metrics. The goal is to provide a single dashboard for real-time library analytics to facilitate data-driven decision making.

1. Library Analytics Toolkit | Harvard Library Lab
Carli Spina
The Project The colorful bar at
the top of the page
This slider zooms
in on data to see
Next Steps
The original goal of this Now that we have completed the initial
allows users to navigate deeper level trends
project was to create a phase of the Explorer, we hope to continue to
between subject areas within subject areas.
standalone interactive by clicking on the The search box also
expand on this work by adding:
analytics dashboard that corresponding color. lets users search • E-resource usage data: In our
would provide detailed This will then zoom in for specific subject discussions we found this to be one of the
and real-time information to offer more details headings to dive most sought after types of library data
about library usage about the narrow subject immediately to the
events. After researching area selected. The Key data they need. At • Expenditure information by
the types of analytics shows the color for each each level, opacity subject: To help collection development
needed by Harvard subject. of the colors shows staff in their work with the collection, we
libraries, it was decided circulation levels. hope to add a financial component to this
that the initial phase of the dashboard
project would focus on This graph provides • Other library usage metrics:
collection and circulation an overview of how
Once the intial collection development
statistics to facilitate the total number of This bar graph shows
total circulation for each component is fully developed, we hope
collection development items in a subject area
has changed since year since the second to add components to track reference,
decisions. This led to the
2000. Clicking on a half of 2002, allowing instruction, physical location, and other
Harvard Library Explorer. users to see changes library metrics within a single, real-time,
line zooms in on that
subject. over time at a glance. online dashboard
Find Out More: Acknowledgments:
This project would not have been possible without funding from the Harvard Library Lab. We would
Try it yourself: http://librarylab.law.harvard.edu/toolkit also like to thank Rosten W00 and Sha Hwang for their data visualization and web development work.
or watch a demonstration: http://youtu.be/Tz1M0c4iH1I The Library Anayltics Toolkit team also includes Kim Dulin, Jeff Goldenson and Paul Deschner.