ABSTRACT
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, a team from the Sheridan Libraries and Museums at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) provided technical support to the JHU Global COVID-19 Dashboard. This paper reflects on the lessons learned from working on a highly publicized, heavily trafficked resource and explores the role of academic libraries in supporting research in the public interest. The authors argue that engagement with projects of this nature not only leverages the existing strengths and expertise of libraries but also positions them to contribute to cutting-edge opportunities in academic institutions.
ABSTRACT
On Jan 22, 2020, a day after the USA reported its first COVID-19 case, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering (JHU CSSE) launched the first global real-time coronavirus surveillance system: the JHU CSSE COVID-19 Dashboard. As of June 1, 2022, the dashboard has served the global audience for more than 30 consecutive months, totalling over 226 billion feature layer requests and 3·6 billion page views. The highest daily record was set on March 29, 2020, with more than 4·6 billion requests and over 69 million views. This Personal View reveals the fundamental technical details of the entire data system underlying the dashboard, including data collection, data fusion logic, data curation and sharing, anomaly detection, data corrections, and the human resources required to support such an effort. The Personal View also covers the challenges, ranging from data visualisation to reporting standardisation. The details presented here help develop a framework for future, large-scale public health-related data collection and reporting.