Microsoft 365 Apps for Library Statistics

Abstract

ABSTRACT The role and responsibilities of medical librarians are not always clear to leadership and stakeholders. Providing clear and meaningful data demonstrates the value of medical librarians. Securing funding to purchase a data tracking system on the market can be challenging if not impossible for librarians with limited budgets. The objective of this project was to build a data tracking system using Microsoft 365 applications provided by the institution for no additional cost. As an industry standard, many institutions have site-wide subscriptions to a suite of Microsoft tools including productivity, collaboration and cloud services. This includes Microsoft 365, with over 20 applications available. The authors reviewed individual applications and conducted trials before selecting three, namely Microsoft Forms, Excel, and Power BI, to work together effectively to input, analyze, and report library statistics. The final data tracking system integrates within Teams for easy sharing within the institution without additional funding.