2016 Charleston Library Conference

In this session we will discuss the creation of a database for the purpose of pulling together journal usage data and cost data in a central environment where the data can be queried to use in return on investment analysis. Our database is named "Albatross" referencing The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, it is both an omen of good or bad luck and represents the challenges and triumphs our team experienced in development.

We will share some of the challenges encountered while designing the database structure and creating a working database from the design. We will then discuss issues related to normalizing the data and our processes for creating effective workflows. We will also discuss the skill sets of the individuals who contributed to the creation process.

In examining the design process, we will share and walk through our final entity relational diagram and the reasoning behind why it is structured as it is. We will also explore our method of automating workflows through scripting in SQL and Python. In addition, we will talk about the normalization of five years of COUNTER and non-standard journal usage data, standardizing titles, packages, publishers, and platforms.

Finally, we will discuss our plans for assessment, analysis, and visualization of data retrieved from our database. This will be a look at future plans for using LibInsight to publish and create access to this data while allowing the curated data to be further paired with other data for more in depth analysis.