The Ballad of the Librarian & The
Infographic: A Tale of Data
Visualization
Caitlin Bagley
Gonzaga University
What is an Infographic?
 Graphic visual representations of information, data or
knowledge. Doug Newsom and Jim Haynes (2004). Public Relations Writing: Form and Style. p.236
Posters
Maps
Signs
Graphs
Examples
Why visualize data?
The Value of Data Visualization
Examples
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Information is Beautiful
Infographic of the Day
Visual.ly
Infogr.am
Teaching students about data
 Ask students about what types of datasets they think
there are.
 The board will quickly fill up.
 Narrow it down, and ask them what types of datasets they
think there are about THEM!
Discussing Bias in Infographcis and
News Sources
 Compare and contrast news sources. Take a current
event that is addressed by biased news sources.
 Have students discuss how these things differ.
 Point the facts that BOTH articles agree on.
But how can I create one?
 Infographics are easy! You just need a little creativity.
 Pick a data set, preferably one with a lot of
information that can be compared to one another.
 Think about what you want to show.
 This is the perfect time for
brainstorming!
Brainstorm
Use Post-Its!
Form small groups!
Use markers!
What colors will
stand out the most?
How much
information should
you depict?
Who is your audience?
What’s most
important to depict?
What data should I use?
 Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter
 What information do students willingly give out about
themselves? Age, gender, place of birth, who their
friends are, etc.
 Things relevant to students lives
 Cost of living data, Minimum Wage Laws, Tuition
 Teach them how to access it.
A Twist!
For long term classes, considering having students find
and research their own datasets for greater interest and
motivation.
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Use data centers like the Pew Research Center
and the Census to help them find data sets of
interest.
Now What?
Materials Needed
 Markers, Highlighters, Colored
Pencils
 Scissors, Glue
 Construction Paper
But wait!!!
 What about the most important part?!
THE SOURCE
Proper Citation
 If you haven’t already gone over citation styles, now
may be the time to go over your style of choice.
 Stress the need to have them cite their source of
information.
 Why?
 So that others can look at the actual data, and see if
they’ve interpreted it correctly.
Sourcing an Infographic
 Common problems on infographics are difficulty in
reading the linked sources
 Web based links are often not clickable.
 The font size is frequently illegible.
The Key to Happiness
 Do infographics need keys???
 No, but …. they’re helpful.
Time
In Class
 Walk around the classroom and offer guidance.
 Answer questions.
 Help guide ways to depict information.
Uh-oh! Problems!
 Line graphs and bar graphs – are they infographics?
 For the purposes of this activity, NO!
 How do you avoid them?
 Urge creativity
 Give concrete examples of what NOT to do.
Sample Rubric
Components
Total Points = 10 points
5 points
0 Points
Creativity
Infographic is colorful and
visually interesting. Displays
understanding of the concept.
Infographic displays information,
but does not have visual appeal.
Infographic displayed no
creativity or was not completed.
4 Points
2 Points
0 Points
Assignment is turned in before
the start of class on due date.
Assignment is one week late.
Assignment is more than one
week late or uncompleted.
2 Points
1 point
0 Points
Data represented is presented
correctly and without error.
Data is mostly correctly
represented but contains some
errors.
Data is incorrectly represented
and/or not factual.
Timeliness
Data Accuracy
2 Points
0 Points
1 Points
Citation
All data is correctly cited in APA
format.
Data contains some errors.
No citations or citation
completely incorrect.
1 point
2 Points
0 Points
Presentation Time
 Bring students to front of class to present their
infographics.
 Give them 5 minutes to speak
 Encourage students to ask questions.
 Prompt students with questions about why they
chose certain depictions, etc.
Issues with Grading
 Judging creativity in non-creative students is
DIFFICULT.
 My Oops!
 I forgot to put in a presentation grading scale.
 Many students’ presentations were lackluster.
YOUR TURN!
Data Set
Librarians
Other Paid Staff
Total Paid Staff
Academic
Libraries
26,706
62,238
88,944
Public Libraries
48,015
96,247
144,261
Public School
Libraries
59,760
22,160
81,570
Private School
Libraries
15,490
6,080
21,570
Bureau of Indian 90
Education School
Libraries
80
170
Total
186,805
336,865
150,061
Source: http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet02
Potential with Embedded Librarians
 Expand into a long term project
 Work in tandem with a Business professor (Statistics,
Economics, Marketing)
Review
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Explain Concept
Show concrete examples
Give plenty of time and materials
Have relatable datasets
HAVE FUN!
Thank You!
 Questions? Feel free to contact me at
bagley@gonzaga.edu