Have you heard others wax rhapsodic on the marvels of pivot tables, but you aren’t quite sure what they are or how they can help you? Do you wonder which type of chart or graph is most appropriate for clearly and accurately presenting your findings? If so, then this session is for you.

Assessment has become a ubiquitous component of librarianship, and skilled manipulation of quantitative data is a vital assessment tool. However, many practicing librarians have had little to no formal training in data collection, analysis and presentation. This session is aimed at rookie analysts who are learning to make the most of their quantitative data. Attendees will learn how pivot tables enable flexible data manipulation and augment analysis. The presentation will also highlight common graphical formats and the types of data for which they are most appropriate. Attendees will be introduced to data visualization best practices that they can employ to effectively communicate assessment results to library administrators and stakeholders.