Make Your Data Talk

Data Storytelling Strategies for Libraries

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Course Details

September 8, 15, and 22 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET
3-Week Live Online Course + Workshop
12 Credit Hours
Recommended for library workers in all library types.
$303 (Save with early bird and group rates!)

You already have the numbers. The problem is making them mean something to the people who control decisions, resources, and support. This course helps you turn library data into a story that actually lands.

  • Clearer ways to identify the story inside your data
  • Tools for building a narrative that resonates with stakeholders
  • A stronger case for funding, support, and long-term value

 

YOU KNOW YOUR LIBRARY IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE, BUT YOU STRUGGLE TO PROVE IT TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO HEAR IT.

  • You have reports and usage numbers, but the impact doesn’t land the way it should.
  • You want to advocate more effectively for your library, but you’re not sure how to find the story inside the spreadsheet.
  • You know how much your library matters, but you need a more confident, repeatable way to explain that to the people who need to understand.

You’ll come away with a practical, research-backed framework for turning your library's data into compelling stories that communicate your value, strengthen your mission, and build the case for your library's future.

CHOOSE FALL SESSION

Early bird rate is $256 through August 8, 2026. Standard rate is $303 through September 8, 2026.

Need flexibility? If you can’t attend live, you’ll get access to the recording for 6 months.

 

Invoice or PO options: Orders of $600 or greater can choose invoice at checkout. For orders under $600, please do not check out online. Submit this form, and we will process your order manually.

Need approval? Email this course to your supervisor.

TRAINING A TEAM?

Everyone responsible for reporting, advocacy, or communicating impact should be able to tell a clear, consistent story about your library’s value.

Multi-seat discounts are automatically calculated in the cart.

Buying for a larger group? Explore all purchasing options.

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AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

  • Identify the story your library's data is already telling, from circulation numbers and program attendance to community partnerships and reference interactions.
  • Apply a research-backed framework for shaping data into a compelling narrative that communicates your library's value and impact.
  • Select the narrative structure that makes your data land with the specific audiences and decision-makers you most need to reach.
  • Develop a data story rooted in your own library's mission and community context through practical assignments built into the course.
  • Tailor your approach to different stakeholders so your library's impact resonates with the people who control resources and decisions.
  • Use data storytelling as an advocacy tool to build a stronger, more confident case for your library's programs, funding, and future.

You will leave with a data story in progress and a framework you can return to every time your library needs to make its case.

This course is especially helpful for:

  • Library directors, managers, and department heads who need to communicate impact to boards, funders, or senior leadership
  • Staff responsible for annual reports, strategic planning, advocacy, or making the case for library resources
  • Librarians who collect plenty of data but struggle to turn it into a story that feels clear, persuasive, and memorable
  • Anyone who needs to explain their library’s value in a way that goes beyond raw numbers and basic reporting
  • Teams working on assessment, communications, or outreach who want stronger language for talking about outcomes and community impact

If that sounds like your role, you will probably see yourself in this course.

 

This course will feel especially relevant if you:

  • Know your library is making a difference, but have a hard time getting that impact to come through clearly
  • Have reports, statistics, and usage numbers, but are not sure how to shape them into a message that actually lands
  • Need to advocate for funding, support, or resources and want your case to be stronger than a spreadsheet
  • Keep running into situations where the numbers are there, but the story behind them is not
  • Want a more confident, repeatable way to explain why your library matters to the people making decisions

This course was built for people who know the impact is real and want to get better at making other people see it too.

 

You already have the data. Circulation numbers, program attendance, partnerships, usage stats. The challenge is that when it matters most, those numbers don’t always translate into something people understand, remember, or act on.

This course gives you a practical, repeatable way to change that. Across three live sessions and guided assignments, you’ll work directly with your own library’s data to uncover the story behind it, shape it into a clear narrative, and adapt it for the audiences you need to influence. You won’t just learn the concept of data storytelling. You’ll actively build something you can use.

 

SESSIONS AND PRICING

This is a live online course. If you can’t attend in real time, you will receive access to the recordings.

Rate + deadline Fall Session
Early bird deadline August 8, 2026
Early bird price $256
Standard deadline September 8, 2026
Standard price $303
Course dates September 8, 15, 22
2:00–4:00 pm ET

 

COURSE FORMAT

This is a 3-week live online course with three 2-hour sessions, plus guided assignments to help you apply what you’re learning to your own data.

 

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

This course is designed to take approximately 12 hours total, including live sessions and applied work. You can complete assignments at your own pace between sessions.

 

COURSE ACCESS

You will have access to session recordings and materials for six months after the course.

 

CREDIT & CERTIFICATE

You will receive 12 professional development credit hours and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

 

ACCESSIBILITY

All sessions include auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

 

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.

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