Digital Strategy dashboard for public libraries
Public libraries are a safe haven for communities. This is where you come as a student who lives in a distressed neighbourhood, this is where you have a right to access information privately, this is where you get health resources, homework assistance, summer programs, technology training, assistance from real librarians, and a warm space — a space that is at once, private and communal.
Library architects of the physical space often take into considerations of usage, access and the texture of the communities they serve. Further, they may go into the emotional texture of the space, the warmth and the invitation.
What does it mean to architect a digital space for these institutions, to not fall into the ‘technology is isolating’ trap. Like any good architect, it makes sense to study and understand the usage of this digital space, the resources available, its sentinels and its prospective patrons.
There are more public libraries than Starbucks in the U.S. — a total of 16,568, including branches. Nearly 100% of public libraries provide Wi-Fi and have no-fee access to computers.
What sort of decisions may we make about comparative analysis in these systems?
- How are patrons accessing the internet in the library?
If a patron uses a “wireless session” to access the library, it means they’re using their wifi-enabled devices. If a patron uses the in-house computers, they’re logging on to libraries’ computers. The juxtaposition speaks volumes about the functions that patrons want the library to fulfill. For instance, a simple case,if a library has higher number of sessions, then they should probably invest in electrical outlets, if they have a higher number of public computer use, they should invest in ___ - How much material is digitally available?
- Circulation of Digital content
- How much is spent annually on digital collections?
- Total internet-enabled computers
- Location, location, location
This dashboard was designed and made with ESRI’s dashboard tool by Neeti Nayak.
