University of Huddersfield [ partial ]
U of H was one of eight participants in a JISC-sponsored research project (part of JISC's Activity Data program) called Library Impact Data. Here is there description of the aim:
The aim of this project is to prove a statistically significant correlation between library usage and student attainment. By identifying subject areas or courses which exhibit low usage of library resources, service improvements can be targeted. Those subject areas or courses which exhibit high usage of library resources can be used as models of good practice.
Here is the abstract of a paper accepted in 2012:
The Library Impact Data Project was a six month project funded by JISC and managed by the University of Huddersfield to investigate the hypothesis that: ‘There is a statistically significant correlation across a number of universities between library activity data and student attainment’. E-resources usage, library borrowing statistics and library gate entries were measured against final degree award for 33,074 undergraduate students across eight UK universities. The research successfully demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between library resource use and level of degree result; however any conclusions drawn are not indicators that library usage and student attainment have a causal relationship.
An earlier project looked at:
- Book loans (using data from their ILS, Horizon)
- Click-throughs to e-resources
- Entries to the library building
Privacy
From the paper on the project's results:
From the outset of the project, data protection issues were seen as a potential risk and were
discussed with JISC Legal and the University of Huddersfield’s Legal and Data Protection
Officers. The primary aims were to ensure data was maintained as anonymous due to its
sensitive nature, and to ensure data was obtained in a way that abided by legal and
university regulations with notice provided to students that their resource use may be
measured. The data has been fully anonymised and made available for use as part of an
open data agreement. Small courses where the cohort is smaller than 35 or where only 5 or
fewer students
Resources
A Brief History of Library Analytics: "studies of the relationship between university library usage and undergrauate student outcomes."
Library Impact Data Project: project results
