Data Visualization: View, In-Real Time, What’s Being Searched For on the Toronto Public Library Website, Catalog
From Metro (Toronto):
The library has developed a tool using Google analytics that pulls search topics into one spot and updates in real time, offering a fascinating glimpse into the city’s psyche — and a slightly addictive browser screen.
“It provides a window into the whole range of questions, needs, and interests people bring to the public library,” said library user experience specialist Sandra Gornall, who added there are about 35,000 searches done each day at Toronto libraries.
Developer Ian Strang said he took on the project as a challenge in his free time because his colleagues were curious about what people were searching for.
Read the Complete Article
Direct to Toronto Public Library Labs “Search Dashboard”
Note: The icons on the left side of each search query show the browser being used to run the search.
Direct to Toronto Public Library Web Site/Search Interface
More Library Data Visualization Projects
See Also: Haystacks: Visualize Data from Harvard’s Library
See Also: Read About “Making Visible The Invisible” Seattle Library Data Flow Visualization”
George Legrady’s art installation inside the Seattle Public Library that visualizes three types of library-related data including books borrowed. More info here (via SPL).
Filed under: Dashboards, Data Files, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries

About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.