Geovisualizing Collections of Penn State University Libraries:

a geographical and statistical perspective of use, age, and relevancy

Sherry RothMGIS CandidateAdvisor: Dr. J. BlanfordPenn State University

BackgroundObjectivesMethodsPilot Study and ResultsFuture PlansPossible ConferencesTimeline

Overview

Background

Background

Background

BackgroundLIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION OUTLINE

CLASS Q - SCIENCE

Q – Science (General)

QA – Mathematics, computers, computer software

QE – Geology

QM – Human anatomy

QP – Physiology

QR – Microbiology

Background

Libraries experiencing transformational changes

Print to digitalBook repository to “libraries as place”Solitude to collaborationInformation gathering to information synthesis

Background

Universities (and libraries) want sustainability – it is a foundational value in our strategic plan

FiscalEnvironmental

Sustainability: The University Libraries support the simultaneous pursuit of human health, happiness, environmental quality, and economic well being for current and future generations.

BackgroundUniversity Libraries responds

Store unused items offsiteDigitize where possibleCollaborate through consortial agreementsRecent removal of duplicate copies

Background

Stacks of Pattee Library, 2012

Background

Knowledge Commons, Fall 2012

Background Removing Books – how?

Use – number of checkouts

Relevancy – last date of

checkout

Age – publication date

Background Removing books – why?

Cost Yearly cost of a book in open stacks = $4.68 in 2015 $

SpaceAverage width of Penn State book = 1.5 inches

Opportunity Cost Using prime real estate as book storageUsing $ to keep an unused bookBut, not having information readily available

Objective

Explore the potential of geographic information systems (GIS) to evaluate appropriate library space allocations for balancing book occupancy and patron occupancy.

Methods

Retrieving the dataLocating the booksAnalyzing the attributes

Methods – Retrieving the data

Cumulative since 1978

Annual since mid-

2001

Methods – Locating the books

Methods – Workflow

create csv table

download PASDA basemap

load into gdb table

truncate call nos. run

summary statistics

create fishnet

load into fishnet

reverse alternate rows create

subject shapefile

create stacks footprint

join

Python scripting

Pilot Study

Pilot Study

Pilot Study

Pilot Study

Pilot Study

Pilot Study

Pilot Study – Conclusion reachedThis model

Can be effective in visualizing strengths and weaknesses of collectionsCan be used to evaluate cost factorsCan be used to evaluate space allocations

Total Checkouts

Future Plans

Present to librariansSurvey them

from http://biemrac.blogspot.com/

Expected Results

Generally: show utility for decision makingSpecifically: show correlation

between age and usebetween age and relevancy

Conferences

Geodesign

spatial knowledgeenvironmental design

Digital Humanities

digital technologyhumanities

Digitorium Digital Humanities Conference

Thursday, March 3rd – Saturday, March 5th, 2016

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Proposal Deadline: December 10, 2015

Texas Conference on Digital Libraries

Tuesday, May 24th – 26th, 2016

The Commons Learning Center, Austin, TX

Proposal Deadline: February 7, 2016 

Conferences

2015 2016

Task - Geog596a Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Finalize Topic

Idenitfy Conferences

Verify Accuracy of Cumulative Data

Identify, Clean, and Load Annual Data

Conduct Literature Search

Analyze Data, Choose Statistical Methods

Rough Draft of Full Paper

Submit Proposal to Digitorium

Draft Presentation

Peer Review Presentation

Task - Geog596b

Incorporate peer suggestions

Complete Analysis

Confirm Digitorium Conference

If rejected, submit proposal to Texas Conference on Digital Libraries

Complete Paper

Attend and present at Digitorium

Attend and present at TCDL

Timeline

ReferencesAbout the Annex (2015). Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved from

http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/annex/abouttheannex.html.

Bradley, W. B., & Mandel, L. H. (2010). Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS)

in library research. Library Hi Tech, 28(4), 536-547.

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07378831011096213.

Brundin, M. R. (2007). Using a geographic information system to analyze public

library performance measures.

CPI Tables (2015). Consumer Price Index. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from

http://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables.htm.

Courant, P. N., Henry, C., Henry, G., Nielsen, M., Schonfeld, R. C., Smith, K. Council on

Library and Information Resources. (2010). The idea of order: Transforming

research collections for 21st century scholarship. Washington, D.C: Council on

Library and Information Resources.

Coyle, A. (2011). Interior library GIS. Library Hi Tech, 29(3), 529–549.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1108/07378831111174468

ESRI 2014. ArcGIS Desktop: Release 10.2.2. Redlands, CA: Environmental

Systems Research Institute.

Given, L. M., & Archibald, H. (2015). Visual traffic sweeps (VTS): A research

method for mapping user activities in the library space. Library &

Information Science Research.

Latimer, K. (2011). Collections to connections: Changing spaces and new

challenges in academic library buildings. Library Trends, 60(1), 112-133.

Retrieved from http://

search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/903206239?acco

untid=13158

Murphy, S. A. (2015). How data visualization supports academic library

assessment: Three examples from the Ohio State University libraries using

tableau. Chicago: Association of College and Research

Libraries./j.lisr.2009.12.004.

References continued

Ward, S. M. (2015). Rightsizing the academic library collection. Chicago: ALA

Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.

Xia, J. (2004a), Library space management: a GIS proposal, Library Hi Tech,

22(4), 375 – 382.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07378830410570476.

Xia, J. (2004b). Using GIS to measure in-library book-use behavior. Information

Technology and Libraries, 23(4), 184-191.

Xia, J. (2005). Visualizing occupancy of library study space with GIS maps.

New Library World, 106(5), 219-233. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/22957783

6?accountid=13158

.

References continued

Questions?