It’s 10pm, do you know what’s happening in the library? An Exploration of Hourly Library Usage Data

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Date

2023-06

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and rising minimum wage prompted access services managers to delve deeper into data we were already collecting in order to better understand when and how the main library at the University of Maryland is used. This exploratory project involved gathering, reconciling, and identifying trends in hourly usage data from different systems, with the goal of maximizing what the library can offer with its current resources and to advocate for more funding, if needed. We will share our experience undertaking this work, discuss how we have and will apply this data, and offer suggestions for others interested in doing something similar at their library. The poster will feature data visualizations and summarize highlights, which the presenters will expand upon when presenting in person based on the audience’s particular needs/interests. We hope this poster presentation will both aid and inspire other library managers to undertake similar work related to optimizing library hours, employee scheduling, and front-line staffing levels.

Notes

Poster presented at the ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, June 25, 2023, and the UMD Libraries' Library Research and Innovative Practice Forum, College Park, MD, June 7, 2022

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/