1. What Can Library Assessment Learn from Doctor Who?
Library User Experience and Assessment Unconference (LUAU)
April 4, 2014
Portland, OR
Laura Zeigen
MA, MLIS, AHIP
UX Librarian
OHSU
What Can Library Assessment Learn from Doctor Who?

2. notes I am NOT a Doctor Who expert.
I am probably going to mess up which Doctor did what.
I am NOT going to get into a debate about the merits of the different incarnations of the Doctor.*
Most of the graphics for this presentation come from Simon Fletcher’s most excellent blog, The Philosophy of Doctor Who (
Interested in watching Doctor Who, but don’t know where to start? Read Simon’s excellent blog post on this topic (
Doctor Who and Philosophy: Bigger on the Inside, Lewis
during the session, but feel free to engage in this question after!

3. Premise http://thephilosophyofwho.tumblr.com/image/54770741490
The Doctor and his companions set out on adventures, often encountering galactic species or civilizations. Often these alien creatures want to somehow take over humanity or the universe and the Doctor and his companion inevitably save the day, usually with nothing but their wits, an open minded, some knowledge of whatever alien or civilization is before them, and a sonic screwdriver.
Their explorations, like all good science fiction, touches on issues on what constitutes good and evil, what makes humans human, and other issues related to ethics or how we live in the universe.
The series has many messages, including explorations of the philosophy of space and time.

4. 1963 – WilLIAM HARTNELL Photo of original Doctor here
British TV show, started in 1963
Premise was that: (from Wikipedia):
“… the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. When the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body; in doing so, his physical appearance and personality change. Hartnell's Doctor is the Doctor's "original" form. The regeneration plot device was introduced when Hartnell needed to leave the series, and consequently has extended the life of the show for many years.”
TARDIS = Time And Relative Dimension In Space

5. http://i2. wp. com/flowingdata

6. Don’t go it alone!
Jenna-louise coleman and matt smith (the 11th doctor)

7. Things are bigger on the inside

9. Scan your environment
Sonic screwdriver FTW!

12. investigate

15. Shut up and listen

16. No straight line

17.
Iterations!

18. Be open to seeing in new ways

22. What you explore can be small

24. humanity

25.
Even Daleks, the sworn enemies of the Doctor, have some humanity in them.
Some things cannot be quanitified

26. Some things cannot be quantified

27. Humans change

30. Ensure proper subject incentives

31. Don’t blink
In assessment, this would be ignoring potential threats in your environment or ignoring certain things and then having them creep up on you. As we learned from the Weeping Angels, it is best to not “blink”.

32. We already have what we need

34. Try, even if you fail