Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
4-15-2025
Keywords
storytelling, data, data literacy
Abstract
What can you tell about your library data as a story? Learn how to bring data stories to life for library advocacy of all types, from sustaining the library to transforming its work. Participants will learn about ongoing research identifying classic library stories told to persuade decision-makers as part of the Data Storytelling Toolkit for Libraries project (IMLS). Tools academic libraries can use include:
- Strategies to understand data storytelling uses for academic libraries
- Reach different kinds of audiences such as students, administrators, and funders
- Adapt narrative structures to communicate information and emotion at the same time
Dr. Kate McDowell’s interdisciplinary work examines how storytelling plays a vital role in humanizing data analysis and communication. She focuses on storytelling as information research, social justice storytelling, and how the history of library storytelling can enhance contemporary data storytelling. Her article Storytelling wisdom: Story, information, and DIKW theorizes storytelling as a fundamental information form. She leads the nationally-funded Data Storytelling Toolkit for Librarians project to equip libraries with narrative tools for data-informed advocacy, which has been used by over 1,000 librarians in over 50 countries so far. Her storytelling teaching was internationally celebrated with the ASIS&T Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award in 2022.
Recommended Citation
McDowell, Kate, "Library Data Storytelling and Information Wisdom" (2025). Bryant Jackson Lectureship. 3.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/jackson/3
