Do You Know Tabeleau?

My goal upon returning from the ALA (American Library Association) National Conference in New Orleans last month was to dedicate several blog entries to outlining my favorite sessions. Having taken a few weeks to digest all that I took in, however, I have come to the realization that perhaps not everyone would find such musings interesting or relevant. So, instead of waxing poetic on my favorite new trends in libraries and information sharing, I thought it might be useful to instead share some actual tools I encountered while there.

Tableau was one such tool and it captivated me instantly. The Tableau website promises to "make data a first class citizen on the web". With its easy to use structure - relying wholly on "drag and drop" - Tableau makes it incredibly easy to visualize data via any of your organization's web presences. Below you will find a simple example I created in 15 minutes, demonstrating the increase in use of one of Blazer's subscription databases, Literature Resource Center. With increasing demands for accountability in service (not just within libraries, but within all institutions, really), it is easy to envision the applications for pushing evidence of achievement back to demanding constituents.

After you check out my example, make your own. Visit Tabelau at: http://www.tableausoftware.com/public

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Take a look...

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”  - Voltaire

This last year has presented me with the opportunity to visit many breathtaking libraries, both public and academic. Working as I do in a library that is in need of some serious cosmetic changes, it is sometimes difficult to focus on what is right about my home away from home. Sure, our rugs are stained and unravelling, our roof is leaking, and much of our furniture is worse for wear, but there is a lot of beauty still left to be enjoyed at Blazer. While staking out locations for the library's upcoming virtual tour (still in progress), I took a few photos that made me feel especially fortunate to be here.

Location: Second floor study area, overlooking the sunny atrium referenced later in this post.

A peaceful island on the second floor. With a lovely view and soft natural light, this is a popular study spot.

Location: Second Floor Stacks, looking towards the end of the "P" range.

The beauty in the symmetry of the stacks never ceases to amaze me.

Location: 1st floor stacks between the end of the General Collection and the beginning of Government Documents.

This strangely tropical area is as lovely as it is quiet, making it a welcome refuge during the noisiest parts of the semester. Beware, however, that sitting on the soft sofa and basking in the sunlight that streams through this window is likely to make you drowsy. I have more than once fallen asleep here on my lunch breaks.

 

Location: Study tables immediately in front of the Reference Desk.

This just looks scholarly. What else can I say?

Location: 1st floor stacks between the end of the General Collection and the beginning of Government Documents.

This is as cheerful a sculpture as can be found anywhere on our campus. It  makes me think of the stick figure drawings of children.

Location - 1st floor study room near Reference

I saw this in one of our study rooms and was romanced by it in a way that can only be explained by my ignorance of the subject matter. To me, so much of science reads like a dead language - beautiful, archaic and firmly beyond my grasp. To the student who wrote this, this is probably very dull indeed.