The competency knowledge of and practices with data analysis involves the process of applying statistical and graphical techniques to data in order to discover useful information. Without data analysis skills, library staff can draw very limited conclusions about patron data, reference statistics, and other library data. In general, data analysis requires:
Math skills;
Software skills; and
Some knowledge of charts and graphs.
For most library staff, the ability to use spreadsheet software, such as Excel or Google Sheets, will be sufficient, but some specialized positions may require the use of statistical software or data-related programming.
