Visualizing Collections and Services with Tableau Desktop Matthew Jansen Data Analyst Digital Research Services UNC Libraries

Services: The Research Hub and The Davis Reference Desk Tableau Desktop Desk Tracker data Key Challenges: Translating between questions and recorded data Results: Input on desk staffing and workshop planning Improvements to forms and data collection

Desk Visits by day (above) Desk Visits by type and hour (right)

Collections: Artist’s Books at the Sloane Library Tableau Public Key Challenges: Parsing and standardizing MARC Values that are not mutually exclusive Results: Collection development tool New discovery option Artists’ Books using ‘Artist-improvised structure’ for binding

Sloane Staff: -Plan collection development to fill gaps or strengthen heavily used portions of the collection Patrons (via LibGuide): -Visualize the scope of the Artist Books collection -New discovery option

Takeaways: Specify questions, explore data, repeat Draw pictures Simple and familiar Learn by doing a project Keep stakeholders in the loop The Good: Accessible summary of data Easy to use Free if you can make the data public The Bad: Cleanup / Standardization Usually not free if you can’t or don’t want to share your data Strategies: