EDITOR'S NOTES
Passing Go
by Dick Kaser
In this issue, we take a look at the ways libraries can make the case for funding and reinforce their role in supporting their constituencies, communities, and, some might even say, customers.
As author Robert Waldstein points out, in some cases, such as at Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs, it’s as easy as giving users the single search box they want, along with a results display that quickly surfaces the sought-after answers.
HP Labs’ Qin Zhu tells how she was able to deliver extra value to the enterprise by mining bibliographic records to discern intelligence about the company’s own research efforts—information that it otherwise didn’t possess.
In a guest editorial, consultant Stephen Abram explains why you shouldn’t just count volumes, checkouts, feet through the door, or even clicks on the page, since monitoring those things may not lead you to the right conclusions.
Back from our Computers in Libraries conference in April, Moe Hosseini-Ara and Rebecca Jones share the essence of their workshop on assessing impact instead of door counts.
Marshall Breeding gives you his advice on using the analytics built into vendors’ systems, and Donna Ekart shows you sites that will help you make your point with visuals.
All in all, it’s an issue packed with advice not only for keeping your library in business but for staying on top of the business in which libraries are engaged.
After you read this issue, be sure to pass it on to your colleagues.
Look for our editors at ALA and SLA this month, and have a great summer.
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