Newcastle Library Computer Usage by Branch from 2008

Monthly computer usage data from April 2008 to present, reported as a percentage of total available booking time across Newcastle branch libraries. The dataset includes figures for the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) and notes closures and relocations, such as the Blakelaw branch's temporary move in July 2024 and the pandemic-related closures from March 2020 to April 2021.

Use Cases

• Analyze monthly computer usage percentage trends by branch library to identify seasonal patterns or long-term changes in public demand.
• Compare usage between the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) and other branch libraries to assess specialized service adoption.
• Investigate the impact of specific events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic closures from March 2020, on computer usage figures across the library network.
• Track the effect of branch-specific operational changes, like the Blakelaw relocation in July 2024 which halted data collection, on overall service metrics.

Strengths

• Long-term temporal coverage from April 2008 to present, providing over 15 years of monthly observations.
• Includes specific operational notes for data gaps, clarifying reasons for missing entries like pandemic closures and branch relocations.
• Data is provided at the branch level, allowing for granular spatial analysis within Newcastle.

Limitations

• Unknown row and column counts, sample data, and file formats limit immediate assessment of dataset structure and scale.
• Contains documented data gaps, including blank entries and a period of no reporting during the Covid-19 pandemic from March 2020 to April 2021.
• Geographic scope is limited to Newcastle libraries, reducing generalizability to other regions.

Provenance

Source

Newcastle City Council

Collection Method

Monthly collection of computer usage figures, calculated as a percentage of total available booking time per branch library.

Time Range

April 2008 to present

Freshness

Last updated on March 24, 2026, indicating recent maintenance.

Geography

Newcastle, United Kingdom (specifically, branch libraries within the city)