Using Open Data to Inform Public Library Branch Services

ABSTRACT

This article describes the curation and use of open demographic data to inform public library services. A case study of census data curated for the Seattle Public Library (SPL) system is described. To understand the information needs of library branches, a set of SPL regional managers were interviewed, a set of use cases were created, and a prototype dashboard tool using open census data was developed to address the needs of two SPL regions. The utility of available open data to meet the needs of regional managers is reviewed, as well as the potential development of replicable data analysis tools for keeping public libraries aware of shifting neighborhood demographics.

KEYWORDS:

• Open data
• data-driven decision making
• library system management

Disclosure statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Notes

1. The Public Library Geographic Database was funded through IMLS and produced by researchers at Florida State University. This database has, however, not been updated since 2005. https://gisuser.com/2005/02/public-library-geographic-database-plgdb-mapping/

2. Data.census.gov is the new platform for accessing data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau.

3. https://engagementnetwork.org/

4. https://data.seattle.gov/

5. https://data.wa.gov/

6. https://www.data.gov/

7. https://www.census.gov/data.html

8. As of July 2019, American Factfinder has been replaced by data.census.gov as the primary tool for accessing Census Bureau data and was decommissioned March 30, 2020.

9. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/news/data-releases/2017/release.html

10. The 5 datasets were: 1. Sex By Age, 2. Median Age By Sex, 3. Median Household Income In The Past 12 Months, 4. Age By Language Spoken At Home For The Population 5 Years And Over, and 5. Sex By School Enrollment By Level Of School By Type Of School For The Population 3 Years And Over

11. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

12. To view app see https://kostler.shinyapps.io/SPL-Seattle-Census-Data/

13. OpenStreetMaps is the default base map for Leaflet and was chosen over other map layers because it was open source and provided ample geographic context for the other overlying layers: https://www.openstreetmap.org/

14. To view app see https://kostler.shinyapps.io/SPL-Seattle-Census-Data/

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Grant – Open Data Literacy [RE-40-16-0015-16].

Notes on contributors

Karalyn R Ostler

Karalyn Ostler is a Master of Library and Information Science student at the University of Washington Information School. She was a 2019 Open Data Literacy Intern …

Bree Norlander

Bree Norlander is a Research Coordinator & Analyst for the Open Data Literacy project and the Technology & Social Change (TASCHA) Group at the University of Washington (UW). She received her M.L.I.S. from the UW iSchool specializing in Data Science and Data Curation. Her research focuses on curating, analyzing, and advancing Open Data.

Nicholas Weber

Nicholas Weber is an Assistant Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington, and the co-Principal Investigator of the IMLS funded project Open Data Literacy. Dr. Weber’s research focuses on the development, use, and maintenance of public interest technologies.