Levels of Data ServiceLevels of Data Service

What must you do?What must you do?

What could you do?What could you do?

How much work is involved?How much work is involved?

Vince Gray

Ontario DLI Training

April 5, 2004

Finding the balanceFinding the balance

Work is piled on your plate in four spots:Work is piled on your plate in four spots:

1.1. What you can doWhat you can do

2.2. What you want to doWhat you want to do

3.3. What you are told to doWhat you are told to do

4.4. What your patrons need you to doWhat your patrons need you to do

You must balance all four simultaneouslyYou must balance all four simultaneously

Questions to considerQuestions to consider

StaffingStaffing EquipmentEquipment Physical considerationsPhysical considerations PoliticsPolitics PragmaticsPragmatics

http://idls.ssc.uwo.ca/idls/Presentation/DLIOrientation/Levels_of_Service.html

StaffingStaffing

Team approach?Team approach? With or without specialist?With or without specialist? Variant levels of service depending Variant levels of service depending

on staff member present?on staff member present? Other staff resources to draw upon?Other staff resources to draw upon? Location of other staff?Location of other staff? Skill set of available staff?Skill set of available staff?

EquipmentEquipment

Number and nature of machines Number and nature of machines where data files are to be deliveredwhere data files are to be delivered

Ability and authority to install Ability and authority to install softwaresoftware

Budget available for unanticipated Budget available for unanticipated needsneeds

Physical ConsiderationsPhysical Considerations

After hour and remote access to After hour and remote access to data?data?

Authentication system to know who Authentication system to know who is using the data?is using the data?

How do users connect to the service?How do users connect to the service?

PoliticsPolitics

Level of support from administrationLevel of support from administration

Working relationship with library Working relationship with library systems department & campus systems department & campus computing servicecomputing service

““Contracting out” of some data Contracting out” of some data deliverydelivery

PragmaticsPragmatics

What do your patrons need?What do your patrons need?

What does your library system want What does your library system want to provide or expect of the service?to provide or expect of the service?

““Minimalist” Data ServiceMinimalist” Data Service

Download data from Download data from ftp.statcan.caftp.statcan.ca

Order data from Order data from dlilist@statcan.cadlilist@statcan.ca

Provide data to the userProvide data to the user

Recommended ServicesRecommended Services

Basic reference: find and identify Basic reference: find and identify data filesdata files

Basic assistance with documentationBasic assistance with documentation

Refer patrons to other people who Refer patrons to other people who can provide them assistancecan provide them assistance

Words of AdviceWords of Advice

Record and archive what you’ve Record and archive what you’ve donedone

Keep usage statisticsKeep usage statistics

DON’T DO THE SAME WORK DON’T DO THE SAME WORK TWICE!!TWICE!!

Possible services (1)Possible services (1)

““Sophisticated” documentation Sophisticated” documentation assistanceassistance

Assistance with sophisticated data Assistance with sophisticated data packages, such as Canada Food Statspackages, such as Canada Food Stats

Archival storage of data deposited by Archival storage of data deposited by faculty or stafffaculty or staff

Possible services (2)Possible services (2)

Consultation on how to store data Consultation on how to store data (e.g., by university archive or faculty (e.g., by university archive or faculty member)member)

Consultation on grant proposalsConsultation on grant proposals

Questionnaire and/or sampling Questionnaire and/or sampling and/or survey designand/or survey design

Possible services: accessPossible services: access

Design of remote access systemsDesign of remote access systems

Catalogue records or data, or linking data Catalogue records or data, or linking data to publications based on themto publications based on them

Sophisticated search capabilities: variable Sophisticated search capabilities: variable level or table levellevel or table level

Develop finding tools, user guides, Develop finding tools, user guides, resource guides, etc.resource guides, etc.

Possible services: stats softwarePossible services: stats software

Provide software assistanceProvide software assistance Create or edit syntax filesCreate or edit syntax files Subset dataSubset data Create variablesCreate variables Merge data setsMerge data sets Recommend/select statistical Recommend/select statistical

techniquestechniques Interpret outputInterpret output Deliver answersDeliver answers

Possible services: GIS softwarePossible services: GIS software

Provide software assistanceProvide software assistance

Create maps for defined areas (subset or Create maps for defined areas (subset or cookie-cut)cookie-cut)

Prepare data for import into GIS Prepare data for import into GIS softwaresoftware

Prepare output mapsPrepare output maps

Possible services: migrate dataPossible services: migrate data

Conversion from one format or Conversion from one format or platform to anotherplatform to another

Can be done for maps, for GIS-linked Can be done for maps, for GIS-linked data, or for data itselfdata, or for data itself

Requires varying levels of software Requires varying levels of software sophisticationsophistication

Possible service: instructionPossible service: instruction

Classroom or individual based Classroom or individual based instructioninstruction

On availability of data, of data services, of software, On availability of data, of data services, of software, of remote access to data, etc.of remote access to data, etc.

Software instructionSoftware instruction

Use of particular data setsUse of particular data sets

Online tools (e.g., viewlets developed at Winnipeg)Online tools (e.g., viewlets developed at Winnipeg)

Possible services: otherPossible services: other

Develop custom services for local users Develop custom services for local users (e.g., assist in development of cumulative codebooks)(e.g., assist in development of cumulative codebooks)

Create “local” data subsetsCreate “local” data subsets

Create cross-reference / concordance Create cross-reference / concordance toolstools

Develop documentationDevelop documentation

SummarySummary

Your data service will be unlike any Your data service will be unlike any otherother

Increase what you do as you add Increase what you do as you add resources and/or expertiseresources and/or expertise

Change what you do as users discover Change what you do as users discover your service and themselves changeyour service and themselves change

Last wordsLast words

Everything takes time and money!Everything takes time and money!

ENJOY! WORKINGENJOY! WORKING

WITH DATA IS FUN!WITH DATA IS FUN!

PresenterPresenter

Vince GrayVince Gray Data Resources LibrarianData Resources Librarian University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario London N6A 5C2London N6A 5C2 E-mail: E-mail: vince@uwo.cavince@uwo.ca Phone: 519-661-2111 ext.85044Phone: 519-661-2111 ext.85044 Fax: 519-661-3231Fax: 519-661-3231