The Data Library Service – where we are at 20

1. The Data Library Service – where we are at 20 A report to Senior Staff by Laine Ruus, Data Library Service, DMGC 2009-01-27

2. Overview • Brief history • What we do • How we do it • Performance assessment • Where we go next

3. Brief history • 1988, DLS established by the University of Toronto Library and Computing Services (UTCS) • As of 1996, managed by the Library, as part of DMGIS, with (informal) support from CHASS • 2008, part of Data, Map and GIS Centre (DMGC), under Reference & Research Services (RRS)

4. What we do: objectives • Outlined in original planning document of 1987 • Collections: acquire, manage and preserve machine-readable data files needed to support empirical or statistical research and teaching activities of the University of Toronto • Access: provide access to machine-readable data files owned by the University of Toronto • Support: provide support for users of these machine-readable data files, inside and outside UT • Archiving: cleaning, documentation, archiving, and dissemination of original data files deposited by researchers;

5. How we do it - collections: • Collections: statistics, quantitative data, spatial data, textual data, in computer-readable form • Primarily but not exclusively social sciences, medical sciences, humanities • Ca 5,000 titles, ca 300,000 physical files • Ca 500 unique data files, most unprocessed • Ca 5% in UofT Libraries catalogue

6. How we do it – support: • Different collections require different support mechanisms: • Statistical products in software dependant formats: served via html (prod.library.utoronto.ca) • Large database products with no accompanying software: CHASS-authored web-based interfaces • Microdata files: via SDA (CHASS) and <odesi> (ca 40% of SDA usage is procedures not supported by <odesi>) • Text files: served via html, also on (prod.library.utoronto.ca) • Spatial data: served via html, also on (prod.library.utoronto.ca) with support from GIS/Map staff

7. How we do it – support (cont’d) • Remainder served “manually” • 2007/08 files provided manually to IMF, Max Planck Institute, UC Berkeley, UWO, McGill, Agriculture Canada, Statistics Canada) • The 80/20 rule applies

8. Performance assessment: mediated reference • 2,300 to 3,300 reference questions/year (=10-15 per working day) • Via DLI, CAPDU, etc, provide reference support to universities and colleges across Canada and US

9. Performance assessment: unmediated usage • prod.library.utoronto.ca web server: • 2006/07: 1,484,356 hits/year (ca 25,000/week) • UT plus 19 other universities/colleges across Canada • CHASS interfaces: • 70,000 to 97,000 hits per year, • Up to 58 subscribing universities in Canada and USA • SDA server: • 858,595 hits in 9,944 visits in 2008 • 11 subscribing universities in Canada + 2 evaluating • ICPSR (OCUL/CREPUQ federation) • 21,407 files, 8,734 datasets (2007/08) of which 3,747 files and 2,568 datasets were UT • Federation of 18 institutions=65% reduction in fees

10. Performance assessment: uncountable usage • No usage statistics are available from many remote access providers, e.g.: • CANSIM@E-stat (Stat Can DSP web server) • SourceOECD • Datastream • WRDS • ARTFL • <odesi> • Files on local networks, eg Rotman Finance Lab, etc.

11. How we spend the rest of our time: • Do all own technical services, data management, data migration, metadata, etc. • Write finding aids for statistical products that can be served via html • Write enhanced metadata (DDI-compliant XML) for files in SDA/<odesi> • Staff: 1 FTE librarian, GALTs 25 hours/week

12. Where we go next: • Succession planning re my retirement • Grow a ‘statistics librarian’, or enhanced statistical expertise in individual UT libraries • Cataloguing the collection • Trusted digital repository status