Data Literacy Skills: Interpreting Statistics the Right Way for

Meaningful Readers Services Assessment

Perla T. Garcia

30 April 2009Lyceum Aparri, Cagayan Valley

PAARL seminar-workshop on the theme “Librarians on their Best: Envisioning and Realizing Multilevel

and Progressive Readers Services”

Quantitative and Qualitative Description

Identify each statement whether it is quantitative or qualitative.

1. Library service is 60 hours a week.2. The library is a hub of recorded knowledge.3. Some librarians participate in the decision-

making process of the organization they work in.

4. Thirty percent of total student population are active borrowers.

5. There is a downward trend of book borrowing between the first and second semesters.

Quantitative or Qualitative?

6. There is a need to add more book shelves to accommodate bulk acquisition.

7. The journal titles in mathematics are adequate. 8. There is optimum use of multimedia projectors

across colleges.9. In-service training for all library staff is given

annually.10. Generally, library staff has high morale.

Why does the library collect quantitative data?

• to measure and validate observation for a reliable conclusion as basis for decision-making

Graphical Presentation

Identify the limitations in the succeeding illustrations

Illustration 1

Illustration 2

Illustration 3

Illustration 4

Illustration 5

Aggregate Data• Number of registered users vs size of enrolment• Number of active users vs no. of registered users• Number of daily entrants• Number of loans by faculty, students, staff• Number of books shelved• Number of requests /complaints received• Number of Internet users• Number of log-ins- OPAC, online databases, etc• Number of instruction classes handled• Number of tutoring sessions handled• Number of visiting users accommodated• Number of requested materials delivered

• Number of materials added to the collection• Number of materials placed on reserved per term• Number of materials weeded out• Number of materials bound• Number of shelves added• Number of shelving hours per day• Number of shelves covered for shelf reading per

day• Occupancy rate per reading area per day• ...

Sample problems

1. What is the proportion of loans with the total book collection?

2. How large is your active borrowers?3. What is the trend of borrowing of your users

for the past 3 years?4. How long is the total shelving space?5. What is the average number of books that a

shelf/book truck can store?

The British Library Annual Report 2005/06: an example

Don’t manglethis angle!

3

3

63

3

3

4

3 3

3

3

?

That is it folks!

Thank you!