An Exploratory Analysis of Campus Engagement with Library GIS and Data Services

Abstract

McKeldin Library's GIS and Data Services team provides a variety of geospatial- and data science-related services to the UMD community, including one-on-one consultations, technical support, and educational workshops. To better understand the team's patron base and the potential impact of location on the reach of our services, we conducted an exploratory analysis on our transaction intake data, combining spatial and non-spatial methods to generate insights. We discovered that most of our patrons' departments were reachable within a 5-min walking distance, with dramatic drop-offs occurring at 10- and 15-min thresholds. In addition, two important "hotspots" of activity were identified: the Architecture building and the Hornbake/Plant Sciences complex.