Tansy Matthews Electronic Resources & Libraries 2010 Austin, TX January 31, 2010

 Background information  Storing use data  Processing use data for storage XML CSV/Excel  Presenting use over time

 Virtual Library of Virginia is the consortium of the nonprofit academic libraries within the Commonwealth of Virginia. (  VIVA's mission is to provide, in an equitable, cooperative and cost-effective manner, enhanced access to library and information resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia's nonprofit academic libraries serving the higher education community.

 Comprises 39 state-assisted colleges and universities (at 55 campuses) 6 doctoral institutions and 9 4-year comprehensive colleges and universities 24 community and 2-year branch colleges (40 campuses)  33 of Virginia's independent (private, not- for profit) colleges and universities  Other educational and research institutions

 Challenge: Develop an efficient means of processing use data that would: Continue providing monthly use data updates for our members, on an institutional and product level Facilitate long term storage of data Permit the display of data to track trends and to demonstrate the consortium’s contribution to higher education in Virginia

 Keys to manipulation AND storage Consistent formatting Columnar data Concatenate

What do you mean by columnar data?

 Challenge revised: Develop an efficient means of processing use data that would: Combine all of our disparate data reports into consistently formatted, columnar data.

 Project COUNTER helped by creating a standard format for use data reporting. 

 Receive data as CSV, Excel, or XML files  Import into Excel XML  direct import and formatting CSV/Excel  combine files using SobolSoft’s Import Multiple Text Files tool ($29.99)Import Multiple Text Files  Develop macros to reformat  Store in an Access database

 Background information  Storing use data  Processing use data for storage XML CSV/Excel  Presenting use over time

 Access/MySQL Space Flexibility  Easy import/export

 Background information  Storing use data  Processing use data for storage XML CSV/Excel  Presenting use over time

 Extensible Markup Language similar to HTML  XML data tags label the structure (not the appearance) of the document  Human-readable markup language  XML documents must be translated by a separate program or application (e.g. Excel) - otherwise, they’ll appear as marked up text.

HTML Hey! That’s me!

Am not! XML

XML Much better.

XML Taught him everything he knows.

 Example file:

 XML facilitates the importation of data into Excel.  Allows the user to determine where the data “lands” when it’s imported – imperative for maintaining a consistent data format over time.  One step import/formatting.

 Open Excel  Create a new workbook  Select Developer>XML>Import  Example: Download Import into Excel

 Select data to be imported  Assign data positions (map elements)  Change field names

 Data>XML>XML Map Properties  For example: Overwrite ( Append (

 For COUNTER compliant data: Compile COUNTER reports into a single Excel workbook (SobolSoft tool) COUNTER processing macros to format:

 Open counter_processing.xlsmcounter_processing.xlsm  Open  Select Developer>Macros  Select compile_counter_journal_reports  Click Run

 Select month.  Paste month in first empty column.

 Consistent format allows data to be easily concatenated.  Charts can be generated directly from PivotTables.  Example:

 Background information  Storing use data  Processing use data for storage XML CSV/Excel  Presenting use over time

 Excel  Data>PivotTable and PivotChart Report  Choose source of data & data range Select a static range Import  Place data headings  Example file:

 Click on your PivotTable  Go to PivotTable Tools>PivotChart  Create your chart.  To “detach” your chart from the PivotTable, delete the PivotTable

 Some resources: lib-stats listserv: "Lib-Stats hosts information useful for the analysis of usage statistics in academic (and other) libraries. Current issues are debated on the lib-stats mailing list." To sign up for the mailing list, send an to lib-stats microsoft.public.excel: From Google groups. A general discussion group for Excel users. More specialized groups are also listed in Google groups. A good source for VBA macros. microsoft.public.excel OzGrid Forum: A good source for Excel tips and VBA macros. OzGrid Forum

 Stats resources Example files  Also potentially useful: PivotTable tutorial