How are we doing in tribal libraries?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the operation and management as well as the activities of tribal libraries in general, providing insights and implications in five areas: general operations and management, staffing and human resource management, financial operations, service and program management, and technology-related activities, using Oglala Lakota College (OLC) Library as a case study. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses information visualization techniques to create visual displays of report data collected from OLC Library. Visualizations were created using Tableau software to provide a quantitative, analytical, and evidence-based view of how tribal libraries operate and are managed. Findings Tribal populations can be well served despite limited funding and staff resources, providing academic and public library services on par with urban libraries. Research limitations/implications Drawing a story from the data proved to be difficult because a bias had been created by the legal service area that most tables of the state data set used to compare reported data. How tribal libraries translate value also posed another challenge. Because the research was conducted in a single tribal library, further research in different, expanded settings and contexts is suggested. Originality/value This study is one of the first to investigate tribal library activities by exploring report data and quantitatively using information visualization techniques.