Visualizing Collections and Services with Tableau Desktop

Matthew JansenData Analyst

Digital Research ServicesUNC Libraries

Services: The Research Hub and The Davis Reference Desk

• Tableau Desktop• Desk Tracker data• Key Challenges:• Translating between questions

and recorded data

• Results:• Input on desk staffing and

workshop planning • Improvements to forms and

data collection

Desk Visits by day (above)Desk Visits by type and hour (right)

Collections:Artist’s Books at the Sloane Library

• Tableau Public• Key Challenges: • Parsing and standardizing

MARC • Values that are not

mutually exclusive

• Results:• Collection development

tool• New discovery option

Artists’ Books using ‘Artist-improvised structure’ for binding

Sloane Staff:-Plan collection development to

fill gaps or strengthen heavily used portions of the collection

Patrons (via LibGuide):-Visualize the scope of the Artist

Books collection-New discovery option

Takeaways:• Specify questions, explore

data, repeat• Draw pictures• Simple and familiar • Learn by doing a project• Keep stakeholders in the

loop

• The Good:• Accessible summary of data• Easy to use • Free if you can make the data

public• The Bad:• Cleanup / Standardization• Usually not free if you can’t

or don’t want to share your data

Strategies: