OpenAthens Data and Institutional Analytics: Delivering Access, Gathering Insights

Academic libraries collect large volumes of usage data. Howver, that data is often aggregated, siloed, or disconnected from the institutional context needed for key insights and decisions. We face persistent questions from librarians and campus partners: Are our collections and platforms truly reaching the intended students and programs? Is library content usage linked to student success? SAML-based authentication systems like OpenAthens generate rich data tying resource access metrics to user attributes, yet lack important elements such as First Time In College, transfer status, and, even in some cases, Department. This session shares a collaboration between the library and the institutional analytics team at a large academic university to integrate OpenAthens API usage data with student demographic and program-level data. By aligning authentication and resource usage with departments, academic programs, and student populations, the project moves beyond surface-level metrics to insight that reveals value and informs outreach and collection decision. We’ll discuss how the approach enhances user privacy and supports responsible data governance. We will demonstrate the dashboard’s features and share how it supports efforts to assess platform reach and better align collection development decisions with demonstrated use by program.