Using Open Source Tools to Improve DSpace Statistics

One of the ways library staff demonstrate value to repository submitters is through the use of usage statistics. While DSpace provides usage statistics on page views and downloads, the accuracy of those numbers has been called into question. Also, the data itself isn’t presented in a particularly user-friendly format. The library staff at UT Austin, despite a challenging budget, have continuously sought to improve the accuracy and presentation of usage statistics produced in DSpace. In our presentation, we will discuss our use of RAMP (Repository Analytics and Metrics Portal) to improve the accuracy of the statistical information gathered from both DSpace and Google Analytics. We will also describe the script we wrote to aggregate the RAMP statistics in spreadsheet format as well as our deep dive into our usage statistics to discover trends in the data. Lastly, we will talk about our current efforts to collect the usage statistics in a database format that will allow for easier deduplication and querying. Participants will learn the pros and cons of repository usage statistic tools, the skills and resources required to implement similar workflows, and how collected information has informed our services.