Data Analysis for Decision-Making & Communication
Sno-Isle Libraries, Wash.
Innovation Synopsis
Sno-Isle is committed to using meaningful data to make informed business and service decisions, evaluating the results of those decisions, and effetively communicating their outcomes both internally and externally. To develop the necessary data management infrastructure and lead our cultural change, we created two new jobs: Data Analysis Librarian and Research Analyst.
Challenge/Opportunity
We needed a way to know if our work is effective and we needed to communicate those results to staff, community leaders, the media, and our general customer base. However, traditional output statistics (circulation, program attendance, etc.) cannot not tell us if we were achieving our desired outcomes. We needed someone with the analytical and research skills to identify data needed on a decision-by-decision, project-by-project basis; create an infrastructure to manage it; organize the gathering of data; and assist staff as they grapple with the idea of evaluating outcomes rather than outputs. This complex work is a priority for us, so it could not be “another duty as assigned” – we needed to commit dedicated staff resources if we were serious about making this change.
Key Elements of Innovation
Our Data Analysis Librarian is responsible for implementing data management/visualization software to manage data from various sources and create reliable, informative reports as needed. When an employee is proposing a new service or project, the Data Analysis Librarian acts as consultant, helping that person describe the desired outcomes clearly, develop an evaluation plan, and identify the data required for evaluation. Our Research Analyst is responsible for evaluating how well our publicity campaigns reach the intended audiences. She also communicates the library’s value of the library to the community through relevant, easily understood infographics.
Achieved Outcomes
Both positions were created within the past year, but we anticipate the following outcomes by the end of 2016:
- Ability to objectively evaluate the outcomes of individual projects/services/initiatives
- Internal culture of informed decision-making and outcome-driven services
- Increased public awareness of the library’s impact on our communities
- Improved prioritization of projects based on past results and desired outcomes
- Improved allocation of staff and budgetary resources based upon prioritization of projects
- Reliable, dynamic statistical data about our core services, with reports customized to specific needs.