#librareis

In June, I traveled to Philadelphia for the 9th International Evidence Based Library & Information Practice Conference. 

My notes:

Collecting and Using Evidence Routinely for Advocacy, Opening Keynote Address / Alison Brettle

EBLIP and Everyday Practice for Librarians and our Libraries, Closing Keynote Address / Pam Ryan

Rick Stoddart, We Are The Evidence: Critical Reflection as Personal Evidence

Panel Discussion: Responding Proactively to “Fake News” / Moderator: Jon Eldredge, Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico / Panelists: Heather Holmes, Associate Director of Libraries, Medical University of South Carolina; Scott Walter, University Librarian, DePaul University; Malin Ögland, Head, County Library, Uppsala, Sweden

April Cunningham and Michelle Dunaway / Analysing and Assessing IL in the Framework Era: A Rhetorical Analysis Followed by Exploratory Factor Analysis

Susan Archambault and Alexander Justice / Exploring Student Use of the Information Commons through Mixed Methods

Ningning Kong/ Evidence-based Library Instruction Development for Spatial Literacy

My presentation:

Deciding and Designing with Data: Analyzing User Data and Behaviour Trends in Online Learning Objects

Introduction: This paper presents the analysis of online learning objects usage at the University of Guelph Library. In an effort to “meet students where they are at” and develop engaging learning content, the library has created online learning objects such as videos and online help guides that support learning, writing and research skill development. Evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP) offers an opportunity to translate usage data into evidence based decisions and best practices for the creation of online learning objects.

Objective: This study seeks to provide an overview of approaches to data analysis and user behaviour assessment for online learning objects: *Identify different data analysis tools used to gather and analyze user activity and behaviours in YouTube and Springshare Libguides *Examine user data such as flow, searching, acquisition, traffic sources, audience retention, watch time and session duration to identify trends *Develop an evidence based approach to best practices for online learning object creation

Methods: Mixed method approaches were used to carry out this study. User data from Google Analytics and Springshare Libguides were used to assess usage data from YouTube and LibGuides from September 2015 to August 2016. In addition, questionnaires and user experience testing were conducted to provide additional context and understanding of the data.

Results: Online learning object usage data provides an opportunity to discover how students are using online help content. Collected data allows us to engage in ongoing evaluation of trends and enhances best practices. Key findings include the need to connect content explicitly to related courses and to create smaller, bite-sized content, acknowledging the low amount of time spent with objects.

I will say right now that I love my library. Even though I plan to move on sometime in the coming years, I grew up at the library I work at. That said, there are libraries that are much bigger in the library system that I love to visit. Oftentimes, I will emerge from these libraries with seven YA books. 

The issue with this is that I always end up comparing my library to these other ones. Sometimes we get donations at my library, and my fellow staff members will put perfectly good books in the downstairs book sale pile, even though we don't have them in our collection. This just happened with a YA/MG series this week. But I look at other libraries, and they carry more of a variety. They don't just concern themselves with quality or bestselling -- they do it all. 

And it makes me wonder if I should make some more suggestions for what we keep. I know we don't have nearly as much room as some libraries, even though we've gone through a big weeding project the past few months. But it makes me sad when I see books that other libraries carry and circulate get tossed into the sale.