EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) will partner with University of Denver, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Chalmers University of Technology to develop a next-generation analytics platform. The platform will combine and streamline data sets from library and campus systems, allowing library staff to demonstrate a library’s impact while making informed decisions on collections and services.
Features within the analytics platform will include self-service data discovery, customizable dashboards, extensive data sources and real-time data connections. The platform will be extensible to non-library data sources and offer automated data feeds with import/export capabilities.
University of Denver, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Chalmers University of Technology will examine data, construct data pipelines and validate dashboards to aid in the development of the analytics platform. A second cohort will be added to test data pipelines, extend the data sources covered and provide additional feedback on the dashboards.
EBSCO Information Services Director of Product Management John McDonald says this partnership will strengthen the development of EBSCO’s analytics platform, which aims to improve workflow processes for libraries that do not have access to robust analytics tools. “Most academic libraries need to rely on manual workflows and traditional methods of data tracking, which can be time-consuming and less effective. We hope to improve this process so library staff can position libraries as leaders in analytics and potentially a central hub for broader campus analytics.”
Dean of Libraries at the University of Denver, Michael Levine-Clark, says working with EBSCO on this new platform will bring the concept of effective library analytics and evidence-based decision making to life. “To help demonstrate the value of library services impact on student success and contribution to the academic institution, library staff need to draw on evidence-based data. This platform will provide the ability to streamline data and leverage this information to prove our impact on the academic community.”
Library Director at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Andrew White, says working with EBSCO on this new analytics platform is an excellent way to ensure they can make a connection between library services, usage and outcomes. “The opportunity to contribute to its development is valuable to us as our campus increasingly moves to a more data informed decision-making framework for campus services. Library data and systems have lagged behind those at the campus level in providing high-quality information about our users, their usage, and the results of their library engagement, so this product has great potential to transform how libraries think about and handle data.”
The project will be moving into a beta development phase in Fall 2020, with additional library partners including the University of South Carolina, the University of Melbourne and Seton Hall University, among others. This new offering is expected to be available in early 2021.
