Data Visualization and Rapid Analytics: Applying Tableau Desktop to Support Library Decision-Making

摘要

Data visualization offers librarians the ability to better manage, explore, and present information collected by various individuals throughout a library organization. This article discusses The Ohio State University Libraries experiments with Tableau, a sophisticated data visualization and rapid analytics software. Tableau allows librarians to blend and leverage data collected from a number of disparate sources, including transaction logs, Google Analytics, and e-resource usage reports. The article provides context for incorporating data visualization into the Ohio State University Libraries' assessment program and shares examples of visualizations created for two data analysis projects. The benefits of blending and simultaneously viewing visualizations of data from multiple sources are articulated and explored. The article concludes with a short discussion of potential future projects for visualizing library data using Tableau Desktop.