Introduction to Using Excel (R) Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts to Increase Efficiency in Library Data Analysis and Illustration

Excel (R) offers powerful features that can spare its users countless hours of tedious and unnecessary effort. Pivot tables and pivot charts are robust tools that can streamline the work of analyzing library data, making it nearly instantaneous, visually engaging, and efficient. Although electronic resource usage statistics will be used for illustrative purposes, countless types of data in a tabular format are suited to the application of pivot tables and pivot charts. This article will discuss background and approaches for using these tools, followed by a companion article that will demonstrate essential techniques and applications.