Open Data Challenges in the Public Library Domain

Abstract

Public librarians are eager to learn more about their communities and to provide services or programming that address current community needs. Open data has the potential to answer many of the questions librarians are asking, but after conducting interviews and workshops with public librarians and public library researchers and advocates, we have identified three challenges that would benefit from wider researcher engagement. Learn and discuss the challenges of: 1. Creating peer comparison groups for public library branches 2. Understanding a library’s community 3. Answering librarians’ questions with open data