Introduction
Last updated
Last updated
LibrariesWest manage a single Library Management System (LMS) for 7 public library services. Data held in this system includes library borrowing, members, reservations, movement of stock, and the library catalogue.
Our open data is split into categories, each category of data will have separate documentation.
We will also be including open data from other sources, such as Ordnance Survey data and Office for National Statistics data, where these relate to the LibrariesWest area, or where we have used them to enhance our data exports.
Open data is data that anyone can access, share, and make use of. The Open Data Institute provides more information about open data and its potential on their web site.
In local government there are requirements for certain datasets to be published. These are listed in the Local Government Transparency Code 2015. The code also states:
all data held and managed by local authorities should be made available to local people unless there are specific sensitivities (eg. protecting vulnerable people or commercial and operational considerations) to doing so.
As part of our commitment to open data, we are making several datasets available from our Library Management System (LMS). They include data on library membership, movement of stock, the catalogue, as well as other aspects of library use and operations. The datasets are anonymised, and freely available for anyone to download and re-use.
Data is released under the Open Government Licence.
Though we attempt to ensure all data is correct and accurate, you may find there are errors, or quirks to the data. If you think anything looks wrong please don't hesitate to contact us.
Category | Description |
Data relating to system charges (e.g. charges for reservations, overdue fines) | |
Books and other things. What's in our catalogue? | |
Our members, how many there are and where they live. | |
Movement of stock around Libraries West libraries. | |
Usage of items in the catalogue, such as number of issues, renewals, and reservations. | |
Some open geography data covering the area of LibrariesWest. Primarily from Ordnance Survey. | |
Some open climate data. May be useful for research on usage. |
