People with little understanding of the process and seemingly no knowledge of the reasons behind research methods toss around terms and numbers with great pretense. Worse, others with potentially less knowledge are making policy decisions based on these numbers. With this lack of understanding, it is no wonder we have arrived at a world confused by “alternative facts,” “fake news,” and the disregard of scientific institutions and data.[1]

I am reminded of the popular belief “people lie with statistics.” As I told many a class, people can only lie with statistics to those that don’t know statistics. The same is essentially true of all information. People can lie about history, but only to those who don’t know history. People can lie about anything to those that do not know about the topic. The way to prevent this is to learn about the topic in question. In the case of trusting research and data, one needs to understand research methods and evaluate.

As librarians we are dedicated to seeking out information. While we generally do not engage in original scientific research ourselves, we refer people to such research and help people to evaluate the materials they find. Academic librarians may do this with greater depth and frequency, but I would argue the responsibility is even greater for the public librarian who serves a population that comes to them for information without any expectation of foundation and background knowledge. For the average public library patron there is no expectation that they possess a background in even website evaluation, let alone scientific research methodology.

For the public librarian we (rightfully) take pride in our role of evaluating material and educating others to do the same. As the evaluation process, not subject matter, is generally our expertise, we depend on other factors such as knowing the credentials of authors and publishers. A simplistic example is that we refer people to information produced by a journalistic news source rather than a tabloid. In the past, the expectation was that the most trusted information could be obtained from the juried professional journals of an academic discipline. If a cure was touted by the American Journal Of Medicine, we knew we could trust this cure more than if presented in The National Enquirer. The actual reason behind this had little to do with the publisher, and everything to do with the process. The material presented in the journal we knew was going to be based on data gathered by scientific methods and reviewed by experts in the field.

This week, I learned the American Psychological Association (APA) asked a journal editor to resign when he asked to see the data of the research he was evaluating for publication.[2] This is akin to the restaurant firing a chef when he asks for proof his ingredients are not spoiled or the hospital firing a surgeon when he asks to see a patient’s record before operating.

What began within me as minor annoyance has now developed into what can only be described as fearfulness. As librarians we are not only on the front line of information sharing, we are also its guardians. I believe we need to hold creators accountable. If you don’t know or understand research methods – learn them! If a source or organization will not provide or support the process, don’t support it. We need to start treating data with respect or all information will soon become meaningless.

References

[1] http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/science-doubters/achenbach-text

[2] http://boingboing.net/2017/03/02/psychology-journal-editor-aske.html

Resources
http://www.nature.com/news/peer-review-activists-push-psychology-journals-towards-open-data-1.21549

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Some of this is due to contractual agreements between the content holder of copyright and the aggregator database provider such as ProQuest and EBSCOhost. We also find individuals lose their rights-to-access because print content that was once available on the Internet Public Library is now only available digitally as part of aggregators such as Project MUSE and JSTOR. Unless the individual has a library nearby which subscribes to these databases, individuals would have to subscribe to the databases when in most case, they only wanted to read one article. This makes libraries indispensable to access, yet perhaps because of the contractual agreement they are not able to give access to the person wanting the information because they are ‘out of bounds’ of the region or the academic institution. I remember once paying $30 gain access to a book my daughter needed for her master’s degree work. Interlibrary Loan system used to work, but with current licensing, that is not always the case.

There is another disappearing act of websites being taken down, though these are sometimes available through the Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. The archive doesn’t capture everything, nor do they capture at any regular interval some of the websites with valuable information and data. I found one university website which was deleted but had come back as the same URL with totally different information. This sort of thing has happened with ISBNs as well; the reuse of them is a serious breach of the program, but it happens frequently enough to be wary of what you are trying to get. In one scenario, a student can’t get access to a certain music methods publication because the database subscribed to by the university dropped the magazine due to their contract with the content owner. In another, the information on Climate Change and Civil Rights was taken down from White House shortly after Trump took office as President.

There have been efforts to save this disappearing data. DataRefuge is one group trying to preserve climate data. GitHub is also working on a method to save digital content from extinction. The Library of Congress, the American Library Association, and CLIR have all been involved in what is now known as “born digital’ information and data and are actively attempting to help contain its demise. Yale University is involved as are many other institutions.

I’m not sure if this loss of digital content will change what our future populations will know as history or not, but some of the information loss will surely change some of the data available to researchers and historians and possible conclusions brought to that research. We do live in a strange universe where we now have researchers trying to replicate standing research to see if it was done correctly with the right conclusions specifically, on health issues. Without that older information, this action would not be available to us, leading us to new information and understanding.

It may be a smart idea for public libraries to update the knowledge found in older work the way law books and encyclopedia’s yearbooks receive updates.  This helps citizens and consumers with information to update their current understanding. With some articles on the net, we often see announcements “updated {date}” but I wonder how many people go back to review the old article (possibly bad or erroneous) or even that updated article, but continue to tell others; spreading the erroneous message/information. And, are libraries capturing this changing information?

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Most public librarians don’t need to be sold on serving teens. However, not everyone understands the importance of connecting with this age group, so a little data to back up suggestions is great for the librarian wanting to develop teen services. When you’re able to show that a quarter of library users are between the ages of 14-24, that can help a discussion about funding. Besides serving all ages, another big reason that library services exist is to be an equalizing force. Many teens are experiencing situations dealing with poverty and homelessness. They are living in a world where prejudice–whether it deals with race, ethnicity, or sexual preference–exists.[2] The library should be a place where teens can come for help, acceptance, and learning.[3]

Not only do libraries need to serve teens, but they need to be doing so in a way that is responsive to how teens interact with the world. These connections are greatly affected by technology and high online engagement. If libraries don’t create a relationship with teens, it decreases the chance that teens will find information that allows them to explore their world and grow.[4]

Several tips are provided to help library staff connect with teens, with the first being to recognize “teens as thinking human beings.” Relating to others can be difficult, and adding an age difference can make it that much harder, but if staff talk with teens about what they care about, they can go a long way to connect. Understanding teens’ use of technology and taking risks with programs and services are also an important part of building a relationship.[5] When staff know what these patrons are interested in, they can help the teens to learn more about what excites them and impart other skills at the same time.[6]

The report recommends several changes from past library practices to possibilities for creating a better environment for teens. Seeing the library as a place for all teens, readers and gamers alike, and having a space and collection that reflect the desires of those patrons are integral. Programs must be created based on the interests of the users with learning opportunities incorporated. Devoted library staff need to be able to focus on creating services for teens, as well as making those connections with them.[7]

Looking at the values expressed in the report for what library staff should uphold while working with teens, you see many of the same things that should be used with all library patrons, which relates back to their point about seeing teens as thinking humans. With adaptability, respect, collaboration, diversity, inclusivity, equality, and intellectual freedom all being listed among the important principles, library staff need to remember that teens deserve the same kinds of services as adults.[8]

No matter what function you perform at a library, you can gain some piece of knowledge about how better to serve teens by reading this report. More and more libraries are actively working to engage their teen patrons through activities, like advisory boards where teens are able to express their interests, and outreach, where librarians offer booktalks on a wide variety of topics to show that all kinds of stories are available. Cliché or not, teens truly are the future of the world, and libraries can help to make a huge difference in making that future brighter for everyone.

References:

[1] American Library Association. YALSA Products and Publications. n.d. (accessed June 18, 2015).

[2] Braun, Linda W., Maureen L. Hartman, Sandra Hughes-Hassell, and Kafi Kumasi. “The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action.” American Library Association. January 8, 2014. (accessed June 18, 2015). Page 1-2.

[3] Ibid. Page 3.

[4] Ibid. Page 5.

[5] Ibid. Page 10.

[6] Ibid. Page 12.

[7] Ibid. Page 15-16.

[8] Ibid. Page 20-21.

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For years I taught statistics. And, yes, it is true, you can lie with statistics. However, you can only lie with statistics to those who don’t know anything about statistics. On that front, one can lie about anything. I could tell you the world is flat. If you knew nothing, you might believe me, and I would have told a successful lie. For years, those businesses that saw libraries as competition have been saying libraries are dead. It’s a lie. But for those who know nothing about libraries, they believe it. Lies with statistics are often intentional and come about when the presenter fails to include all of the information. This is why one can only lie with statistics to those who don’t know statistics. When looking at numerical information, there are two basic rules:

1. Always know the total real number. Most stats use percentages. This is a convenient tool that makes comparisons easy. It allows whatever one is looking at to be viewed in terms of 100. 50% is half. 33% is a third. But a half or a third of what amount? Think about this in terms of cash. I offer you a half of a dollar, you might yawn. I offer you a half of 10 million dollars – that would get your attention. Without some indication of how many items/cases were included, a percent is vague at best.

It is also an easy way to lie. For example, say I ask 4 people how they like the library’s new pet snake. If three of them say yes and one says no, I can honestly report that 75% like our new pet snake. But if I do not tell you I’ve only asked 4 people, is my assertion that most people like our pet a lie? Many would say yes. This lie is easily uncovered by asking how many people were asked. When the actual total numbers are not offered, I’m skeptical.

2. Always know who or what the numbers are coming from. In libraries, hard numbers can be difficult to come by and there will always be a level of acceptance (or not) of how data is gathered. Most library surveys are taken by people in the library—a slightly biased group, often with no guarantee that one devoted person has not stacked the deck. Circulation numbers are generally gleaned from our ILS and we are at the mercy of our programs and appropriate scanning. There will always be concerns, but generally ones we accept despite a margin of error.

Still, going back to our pet snake, consider that instead of asking 4 people, I asked 12 people. Again, 4 of them said they did not like our pet, but 8 said they did. Again, my report says 75% like our pet. But what if those 8 people were all from the local herpetology club? What if they were all personal snake owners, surveyed from the local pet store? How one gets their data is just as important as the numbers themselves. Who was answering the survey and where they were asked should always be known.

There are certainly other elements to be aware of, but these two elements can take one a long way. Armed with this information, it makes it very difficult to be lied to; presenting this information can make it less likely the accusation can be made. If this information is not shared, it always raises a red flag. When presenting statistics, I am always certain to have the total ‘real’ numbers on hand.

The post Statistics Season first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I wrote a few months ago about the data skills that future academic librarians can develop—but what would a data librarian look like in a public library? In this post, I’d like to review a few data concepts, outline potential differences between academic and public librarians, and suggest ways that public librarians could bring data to their patrons.

Data in the Public Sphere

You’ve heard about ”big data,” which I’ll loosely define as enormous collections of raw information. Ten thousand tweets on a given day, a million clicks on a website by 35,000 people, a hundred thousand economic indicators. How would you make sense of it all? That’s big data.

Click the animation to open the full version (via Penny Stocks Lab).

And big data matters, because it’s the method through which our personal life is swept up and analyzed by marketers, law enforcement, and researchers. This analysis of groups and individuals then impacts public policy, the economy, and our chances in life. But data isn’t just a danger—it’s also an opportunity. You and I have more access to datasets (collections of data about many separate people, institutions, or events) than ever before.

America’s Chief Data Scientist defines data science as “the ability to extract knowledge and insights from large and complex datasets” (whitehouse.gov). This resonates with one of our goals as librarians: to help people extract knowledge and insight from books.

In 2013, Obama signed executive order 13642, requiring government agencies to share their data in a way people can re-use, not just in summary reports. It’s a great move: it puts data about schools, the economy, business, and the environment into citizens’ hands. It allows ambitious high school students to do original analysis, journalists to cross-check official statements, community members to run advocacy campaigns, and business owners to evaluate the strength of their market.

And because this data is “open,” it comes at no cost to the community. As Meredith Schwartz writes in Library Journal, open governmental data is big news. Agencies now have to share—but we still need public user interfaces, local workshops, and skills tutorials to make this information truly accessible.

So how can libraries help? Academic librarians are compiling public and private data sources, teaching data analysis and visualization, and sharing how to manage and archive local data. Library schools are even hiring data specialists to train the next generation of tech-savvy librarians.

But there are strategic ways for public librarians to get involved as well. Just as e-books are available online and we help community members to use e-readers, so many types of data are online—and community members will still benefit from a guide.

Case Studies of Public Libraries in the Data Sphere

This spring, the Knight Foundation awarded a major grant to the Boston Public libraries to catalog and make regional data available to the public. Additionally, it awarded another grant to the Library Freedom Project so that public libraries could train citizens how to avoid the worst in data surveillance. Libraries like the Brooklyn Public Library are beginning to use Tableau to visualize their collections and patron needs, finding that visual displays of data capture the imagination of librarians and community members. Amidst thechallenges facing public libraries in the UK, Ben Lee argues that public libraries were created to help the working classes take ownership of their lives and communities—and that training residents to find and use public data fulfills a similar mission in the modern era.

What Would a Public Data Librarian Look Like?

As AnnaLee Saxenian says,

“A data librarian has a special set of responsibilities around stewardship and curation. . . defining standards, storing data . . . and organizing data in a way that makes it more accessible. And it may be a bit of an uphill battle.” 

While we would never want to replace the responsibility of other municipal agencies to care for their own records, data librarians could help patrons access public data, and even teach some of the skills that would allow people to make better use of these new resources. Given the cachet of “big data” in popular culture, publicizing the existence of “data librarians” could reinforce the relevance of public librarians as guides in the internet age.

Data training for librarians

While academic librarians focus on finding and managing research data, public data librarians are more likely to focus on open data: opening up the world of data to the community, helping people to access public data, or hosting workshops on data skills. Here I’m thinking of things like scraping real estate data and visualizing it using infographic tools like impact.io. People don’t need a data genius as much as a data guide—and that’s what librarians are there for.

So how could we get started? I would advise starting with School of Data to learn baseline concepts, and work through the Data Journalist’s Handbook to be able to teach how to work with public data in Excel.  Online study programs like Coursera and Edx run free classes on statistics, as well as more advanced courses on data science and data analysis.

Library schools are also likely to gear up and offer continuing education certificates in this area. As Sandy Hirsh writes from SJSU:

“We need people working in areas like big data who are coming in with the perspective that you get with an MLIS degree. . . it’s very different when you develop skillsets for big data from an LIS perspective.”

I’d suggest that this is true not only for LIS students going into software and tech development, but also for those who go into their communities and teach people how to find and use data. It fits our original mission so well: to bring knowledge to the community.

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