Levels of Data Service What must you do? What could you do? How much work is involved? Vince Gray Ontario DLI Training April 5, 2004

Finding the balance Work is piled on your plate in four spots: 1. What you can do 2. What you want to do 3. What you are told to do 4. What your patrons need you to do You must balance all four simultaneously

Questions to consider Staffing Staffing Equipment Equipment Physical considerations Physical considerations Politics Politics Pragmatics Pragmatics

Staffing Team approach? Team approach? With or without specialist? With or without specialist? Variant levels of service depending on staff member present? Variant levels of service depending on staff member present? Other staff resources to draw upon? Other staff resources to draw upon? Location of other staff? Location of other staff? Skill set of available staff? Skill set of available staff?

Equipment Number and nature of machines where data files are to be delivered Number and nature of machines where data files are to be delivered Ability and authority to install software Ability and authority to install software Budget available for unanticipated needs Budget available for unanticipated needs

Physical Considerations After hour and remote access to data? After hour and remote access to data? Authentication system to know who is using the data? Authentication system to know who is using the data? How do users connect to the service? How do users connect to the service?

Politics Level of support from administration Level of support from administration Working relationship with library systems department & campus computing service Working relationship with library systems department & campus computing service Contracting out of some data delivery Contracting out of some data delivery

Pragmatics What do your patrons need? What do your patrons need? What does your library system want to provide or expect of the service? What does your library system want to provide or expect of the service?

Minimalist Data Service Download data from ftp.statcan.ca Download data from ftp.statcan.caftp.statcan.ca Order data from Order data from Provide data to the user Provide data to the user

Recommended Services Basic reference: find and identify data files Basic reference: find and identify data files Basic assistance with documentation Basic assistance with documentation Refer patrons to other people who can provide them assistance Refer patrons to other people who can provide them assistance

Words of Advice Record and archive what youve done Record and archive what youve done Keep usage statistics Keep usage statistics DONT DO THE SAME WORK TWICE!! DONT DO THE SAME WORK TWICE!!

Possible services (1) Sophisticated documentation assistance Sophisticated documentation assistance Assistance with sophisticated data packages, such as Canada Food Stats Assistance with sophisticated data packages, such as Canada Food Stats Archival storage of data deposited by faculty or staff Archival storage of data deposited by faculty or staff

Possible services (2) Consultation on how to store data (e.g., by university archive or faculty member) Consultation on how to store data (e.g., by university archive or faculty member) Consultation on grant proposals Consultation on grant proposals Questionnaire and/or sampling and/or survey design Questionnaire and/or sampling and/or survey design

Possible services: access Design of remote access systems Design of remote access systems Catalogue records or data, or linking data to publications based on them Catalogue records or data, or linking data to publications based on them Sophisticated search capabilities: variable level or table level Sophisticated search capabilities: variable level or table level Develop finding tools, user guides, resource guides, etc. Develop finding tools, user guides, resource guides, etc.

Possible services: stats software Provide software assistance Provide software assistance Create or edit syntax files Create or edit syntax files Subset data Subset data Create variables Create variables Merge data sets Merge data sets Recommend/select statistical techniques Recommend/select statistical techniques Interpret output Interpret output Deliver answers Deliver answers

Possible services: GIS software Provide software assistance Provide software assistance Create maps for defined areas (subset or cookie-cut) Create maps for defined areas (subset or cookie-cut) Prepare data for import into GIS software Prepare data for import into GIS software Prepare output maps Prepare output maps

Possible services: migrate data Conversion from one format or platform to another Conversion from one format or platform to another Can be done for maps, for GIS-linked data, or for data itself Can be done for maps, for GIS-linked data, or for data itself Requires varying levels of software sophistication Requires varying levels of software sophistication

Possible service: instruction Classroom or individual based instruction Classroom or individual based instruction On availability of data, of data services, of software, of remote access to data, etc. On availability of data, of data services, of software, of remote access to data, etc. Software instruction Software instruction Use of particular data sets Use of particular data sets Online tools (e.g., viewlets developed at Winnipeg) Online tools (e.g., viewlets developed at Winnipeg)

Possible services: other Develop custom services for local users (e.g., assist in development of cumulative codebooks) Develop custom services for local users (e.g., assist in development of cumulative codebooks) Create local data subsets Create local data subsets Create cross-reference / concordance tools Create cross-reference / concordance tools Develop documentation Develop documentation

Summary Your data service will be unlike any other Your data service will be unlike any other Increase what you do as you add resources and/or expertise Increase what you do as you add resources and/or expertise Change what you do as users discover your service and themselves change Change what you do as users discover your service and themselves change

Last words Everything takes time and money! ENJOY! WORKING WITH DATA IS FUN!

Presenter Vince Gray Vince Gray Data Resources Librarian Data Resources Librarian University of Western Ontario University of Western Ontario London N6A 5C2 London N6A 5C2 Phone: ext Phone: ext Fax: Fax: