6 - 11 15 Engagement Level
The Vibe / Energy
6 - 11 15
Engagement Level
The Vibe / Energy
6 - 11 15
Engagement Level
The Vibe / Energy
  • Libraries provide valuable hands-on experiences, sparking Ah-Ha! moments of impact.
  • How do we collect them?
  • And what do they tell us?
  • Observation Deck is a system to organize, analyze and share.
    • Explore the Big Idea
  • Ah-Ha! moments are collected during an event or program called a session. These moments are tagged using a framework aligned to your library's strategic plan.
  • Frameworks are made up of a set of dimensions which are tied to your library's strategic priorities.
  • Dimensions are broken down into indicators which are used to tag an ah-ha, interactive, or other moments.
  • The power of the Observation Deck comes from your whole team observing multiple sessions with a shared organizational framework over time.
    • Let’s start observing a session
  • Your session has started! What do you hear? Take a note.
  • What do you see? Add a photo.
  • Using your framework as the guide, tag these moments by dimension and indicator.
  • Star the observations that you might want to share and that have social media data permission
  • You just collected a moment of critical thinking and have organized data to show your impact!
  • End your session after you have collected all your observations. Reflect on the vibe, and note important details.
    • Now share the success
  • The Observation Deck Makes it easy to see all the moments you have collected, and what dimensions rose to the top in a session.
  • Observation Deck makes it easy to see and share the strongest examples of what you observed.
  • Share internally to illustrate the value and outcomes of a session with stakeholders.
  • Share highlights & value of sessions with patrons externally.
    • Now see trends and patterns
  • When reporting, we start by viewing all sessions by all observers and can filter down by age group, attendance, moods and more. This helps us identify trends and patterns across sessions.
  • Dig into observations from individual sessions or by organizing sessions into groups based on factors such as location.
  • Toggle into narrative mode to find the human element that summarizes the data.
  • Filter down your observations to find the quotes, notes, and photos that illuminate the data.
    • Now see extensibility & customization
  • Observation Deck can be a simple standalone tool.
  • It can also be extended to be integrated with other library data systems and statistics tools.
  • Observation Deck is also customizable and allows you to create your own frameworks based on your library's strategic plan or vision, and customize the data collected.
    • View our Case Studies Explore Our Features

Impact & Successes

Discover the versatility, adaptability, and effectiveness of Observation Deck tacross libraries of all sizes and diverse needs.

At Madison Public Library

Observations Help Open Doors

  • maker space workshop
  • grant reporting goal
  • high-needs population focus
Read Case Study
At Madison Public Library

Coplanning for Success with your Community

  • co-building goal
  • bubbler maker framework
  • community engagement focus
Read Case Study
At Madison Public Library

Expecting the Unexpected

  • true play framework
  • family engagement focus
  • youth-led experiences focus
Read Case Study
At Skokie Public Library

From Observation Fatigue to Purposeful Reporting

  • maker space workshop
  • shift session
Read Case Study
Waupaca Public Library

Sharing Value with the Community through Reporting

  • community partnership goal
  • steam framework
  • small institution
Read Case Study

How it Works

Explore our demos to learn how to set up, observe, share and analyze

1. Select a framework

Choose from one of our out-of-the-box frameworks or create your own.

Explore Starter Frameworks
Administrator Application

2. Getting started with the Observation Deck

Learn about setting up your back end data including different user types, entering a new framework, and customizing what you track and observe.

Learn about Roles & Set Up
Observer Application

3. Learning how to observe

Learn about our recommended observational practices.

Learn How To Observe
Reporter Application

4. Analyzing and Understanding your data

Learn how to explore your data to find insights for improvement.

Learn How to Explore Your Data
Reporter Application

5. Sharing with public and stakeholders

Share your outcomes to the people who matter such as stakeholders and patrons.

Learn How to Share

Toolkit Features

Observation Deck is a three application toolkit for capturing set up, capturing observations, and exploring data.

Observer Application

A mobile or touch screen interface for data collection during or directly after an session.

  • Timeline
  • Multimedia Capturing
  • Linked Notes & Anecdotes
  • Taggable
  • Capture the Vibes
+ 2 more Features

Reporter Application

Our desktop application allows you to seamlessly analyze your data through filtering and grouping, and share the compelling narratives emerging from your library.

  • Filter Sessions
  • Group Your Data
  • Sort by Dimension
  • Storytelling Mode
  • Aggregated Data Visualizations

Administrator Application

A data back-end tool, built with Directus, where users and global settings like frameworks, dimensions and indicators, and the mood questions for sessions can be managed.

  • User Hierarchy
  • Starter frameworks
  • Custom Frameworks
Explore All Features

Our Mission

Observation Deck aims to provide easy to use toolkit to capture and organize Ah Ha! moments in hands-on library programs to illustrate their impact and support librarians in driving continuous improvement.

Built by a team dedicated to helping libraries achieve their mission

Madison Public Library, in collaboration with two other libraries, Waupaca Area Public Library and Skokie Public Library, developed a librarian’s toolkit application for collecting, analyzing and sharing qualitative data and outcomes in library programs

Learn More About Our Mission

Get Started

Self-hosted Edition

An open source, completely free version of the data collection and reporting applicatoin, built on a platform that makes it easy to host and manage
 

Built on the power of open source:

Explore Self-hosted Edition

Full-service Edition

A version with no technical experience required....coming soon!
 

Unparalled support for person-to-person help for consulting

Consulting for framework development and program integration

Contact Us

Knowledge Base

For best results, learn how to use this stuff. Here are best practices and suggestion for how to use each application.

Observer Application

icon for the Photo / Privacy Permission knowledge base entryPhoto / Privacy Permission

Ask participants if photos can be taken as they walk into session.

Reporter Application

Multi-User Data

Carve out 10 minutes before start of session to set up.

Administrator Application

User Hierarchy

Institutional managers are at the top with most permissions, then observors.

Search Our Knowledge Base