Bridging the Gap: Revamping Data Practices to Elevate Library Services and Impact

Like many other academic libraries, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Library has struggled with questions that seem simple but in practice are surprisingly complicated to answer. Critical information about the library’s collections and services to students was dispersed across a variety of sources and took significant time and expertise to wrangle into insights that could inform decision-making and advocacy. This chapter outlines a two-year process to streamline data organization and collection across various areas of the library to make more strategic operational decisions and articulate the library’s needs and value more compellingly to the broader institution. From developing a detailed accounting of library collections to leveraging partnerships to better understand the library’s contributions to student success and overall institutional effectiveness, these changes have allowed our library to identify and move away from ineffective approaches and develop more meaningful metrics.