Happy holidays, library world! This time of year when we gather with family and friends, which can be both joyful and hectic, feels like an appropriate time to take a look at library spaces across Colorado dedicated to coming together or finding some peace and quiet. In 2024, Library Research Service asked libraries to report on the Public Library Annual Report (PLAR) how many meeting and study rooms they have available and how many times each room type was used in 2023. This data was collected at the outlet level, meaning that individual library locations reported room counts and usage separate from their larger library system. We asked about these library spaces because libraries are some of the only places that provide work spaces without many of the usual barriers to entry, such as cost. Providing access to meeting or study spaces is particularly important for people who may not be able to find similar suitable spaces in their home environment. The data we collected indicates that quiet spaces to oneself and places to gather are not only helpful over the holidays but in high demand throughout the year!
While exploring this data, I found it difficult to decide on a single aspect of it to visualize because interesting findings came to light when multiple data points were considered together. For example, less study rooms were reported than meeting rooms, but study room usage was higher on average. It was also important to note that there were several gaps in the data; many libraries did not report this information or only reported on one aspect of it. Gaps may be partly due to these being new PLAR questions and mean that a broader overview of the data from reporting libraries would be more reliable than comparisons between groups of libraries in which many didn’t report. These discoveries, along with the narrative that began to naturally emerge when studying the data led to a short data story!
We’ve spent most of our time in the Public Library Blueprints blog focusing on different types of visualizations individually. We’ve looked at everything from scatter plots and histograms to bar and line charts, bubble charts and beyond! But data visualization can encompass more than just individual chart creation. At LRS, we often use our Fast Facts infographics to help tell a story with data. While a single, thoughtfully created chart can tell a story on its own, sometimes a data story needs more textual context and a variety of elements to convey meaning effectively.
The infographic above uses icons, charts, color, arrows, text, and a map to create a narrative about meeting and study room access in Colorado’s public libraries. It’s fairly short compared to many infographics, but it serves as an example of how simple elements combined can effectively communicate data in a visual, entertaining manner. While a single chart might struggle to juggle multiple dimensions of data without sacrificing simplicity, a series of smaller, dynamic visual elements can do so without becoming too complex. Infographics do take some time to read as well as build, and so it’s important to consider whether they will be appropriate for your audience’s information needs before deciding to make one.
Another key consideration for infographics is how the visualization will be distributed and made accessible. The figure above is interactive with animation and tooltips appearing when the cursor hovers over the charts. If printed out, these features will be lost. Infogram, the platform used to create this visualization, allows alternative text to be added to elements within the visual, so I’ve included those in this example for screen readers. Still, reading order and hidden elements often make this platform challenging for screen readers, so attached here is a fully accessible text-only version to ensure the information is available to all. Although there are more accessibility, format, and design considerations in these visualizations, infographics can be well worth the work for their power to draw in and engage a crowd.
There is no end to the variety of ways to display data stories, but regardless of the design you choose, there’s a couple guidelines to keep in mind when building one. First, have an organizational structure to your design that supports your narrative. For example, the figure above starts with an overview of what all libraries reported before zooming into an analysis of room usage and ending with two specific library locations highlighted. Also, context is key! This visualization is meant only to present the facts of the data reported, but there will likely be times when you’re using the data to make a case for things such as funding or staffing. When doing so, be sure to draw clear connections between the data and the argument you’re making to ensure everything relates back to your central narrative.
We hope this example, the linked resources, and the brief introduction to building data stories through infographics will inspire some creative approaches to visualizations as we head into the next year! Humans are natural storytellers, and we can use this to our advantage when communicating data. LRS is always here to help, and we wish you all a wonderful holiday season with opportunities to create and share some delightful stories with family and friends (with or without data involved)!
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