Task ④ ⇒ spreadsheets

Display your ability with spreadsheet tools

Task

You are to download and modify several existing worksheets to make them a more useful product. To be specific, these worksheets are the 2011-2012 Annual Statistical Report of North Carolina Public Libraries, published by the North Carolina State Library. While all 77 public library systems returned their annual report form, not all items on each form were filled out. Data element fields that were left blank or were reported as N/A are generally entered as zero. Tables 1 through 13 and the five-year statewide summary table are available below in Excel and Adobe Acrobat .pdf format.

The task will require you to construct a workbook that can be used both as an electronic spreadsheet and as a paper product, capable of being easily used by a busy executive. The final workbook will include:

19 worksheets, each containing statistical data (numerical and/or textual) about North Carolina public library systems

You are to modify all worksheets in some fashion to make them more useful both as an electronic and as a paper product.

Some worksheets will be modified specifically to make the data in them more visible. This may include converting data already in the worksheet to different kinds of data; may include using one or more of the tools to manipulate the data; or may include using your formatting skills to tidy up some spreadsheet inefficiencies.

You will also create several charts based on the worksheets and add these charts to the workbook.

If you are interested, you can look at the original location where the worksheets were located. However, use the preformatted version for your work.

Everything in this task is something we will have demonstrated and/or tried in class.

Condition

There are several different commercial spreadsheet software applications, and you may use the one of your choice. However, I will have to be able to open the file using either MSOffice or OpenOffice.