Creative Annual Reports

Posted by nnlmneo on October 9th, 2015 Posted in: Data Visualization

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Ah, the annual report – at its best we expect to see a glossy booklet with pie charts, short paragraphs and some quotes. At its worst it can be pages of dry text. Our main hope with annual reports is that our stakeholders and others will read them and be impressed with the successes of our organizations.

Last month I ran across the annual report from the Nowra Public Library in New South Wales, Australia, which was so compelling and understandable that over 100,000 people have viewed it on YouTube:

Since most organizations don’t have the resources to do their own music video (e.g. singers, writers, silly costumes), I thought I would look at a few other examples to consider when it’s time to do your annual report.

One of my all-time favorites is the annual report from the Schusterman Library of The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. Their annual report is an infographic that shows the data that is collected, but also describes the data in such a way that 1) you have a better feel for what is going on in the library; and also 2) you might think “I didn’t know they would help me with that!”  For example: “7,274 Reference questions answered in person, by phone, by email, and instant message or text on everything from ADHD and child welfare to decision trees, LEED homes, and census reporting.” It is available on their website, and the librarians at the Schusterman Library say they frequently find students looking at it.

The Michigan State University College of Education won a gold ADDY and a Best in Show Award for their 2012 Annual Report (an ADDY is the advertising industry’s largest competition).  Their report featured a tri-fold, die-cut skyline that presented the college’s missions and strengths with an emphasis on “college as community.” The annual report also included a video and a website that gives detailed narratives that show institutional successes in terms of personal stories.

Of course, not all institutions want an unusual annual report.  But it is important to consider the target audience.  Annual reports reach the upper administration, potential funders, and patrons of the library. The success of this years annual report might shape the library users view of the library for years to come.