"Making Visible the Invisible", a data visualization commissioned by the Seattle Central Library, operational since fall 2005


This database receives by the hour all of the checkouts of books, cds, DVDs, and other material that library patrons take out of the library. The data at the library is classified in two separate categories. Non-fiction items receive a Dewey Classfication System coding, explained here: Dewey Decimal Classes. Fictional items are classified in a different way. This visualization features the top 20 most active Dewey categories. Click on each of the categories to get the chronological list of titles checked out during the previous hour.

 

2200 books out of 3443 items checked out at 15:00, 01.05.2019
[3443] Total items checked out [1030] Dewey (non-fiction) Books [1170] Non-Dewey (fiction) Books
[2200] Total Books [1110] Media (dvd, cd, etc.) [0015] Misc

Dewey Decimal Classification Graph

This map highlights current circulating books according to their Dewey classification category in Generalities [0-99]; Philosophy & Psychology[100-199]; Religion [200-299]; Social Science [300-399]; Language [400-499]; Natural Science & Mathematics [500-599]; Technology & Applied Sciences [600-699]; Arts [700-799]; Literature [800-899]; Geography & History [900-999].


     

The top 20 Dewey categories
  206   [741] Drawing + drawings
  114   [641] Food + drink
  21   [613] Promotion of health
  20   [158] Applied psychology
  19   [616] Diseases
  19   [973] General history of North America United States
  17   [306] Culture + institutions
  17   [917] North America
  15   [796] Athletic + outdoor sports + games
  15   [940] General history of Europe
  14   [914] Europe
  13   [791] Public performances
  13   [133] Parapsychology + occultism
  12   [658] General management
  12   [979] General history of North America Great Basin + Pacific Slope
  12   [635] Garden crops (Horticulture)
  11   [305] Social groups
  10   [362] Social welfare problems + services
  10   [808] Rhetoric + collections of literature
  10   [153] Mental processes + intelligence

Hourly Histogram of Circulation Activities
View a Previous Date | 01.01 | 01.02 | 01.03 | 01.04 | 01.05 | 01.06 | 01.07 | 01.08 | 01.09 |

George Legrady, with Andreas Schlegel and August Black. This active webpage has been operational since October 2005