http://www.lrs.org/ Research and Statistics about Libraries - School en-us http://www.lrs.org/blog/rss.xml A new Fast Facts from Library Research Service examines the trends evident among a cohort of school libraries that have consistently responded to the annual Colorado School Library Survey. These trends include more group visits to the library, a greater emphasis on technology, increased circulation, and more frequent use of interlibrary loan.

Fast Facts: http://www.lrs.org/fastfacts/index.php?year=2008

-Amanda
arybin@du.edu http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=233 "Librarianship as viable career" is the liveliest discussion we've seen on libnet in awhile. Obviously many of us feel passionately about being librarians and have strong opinions about the value of an MLIS degree.

Of course, at the LRS we'd like to capture some of these opinions. Help us out by answering a few short questions about this hot topic at: http://surveys.lrs.org/respond.php?sid=31.

This anonymous 60-second survey is intended to capture your gut-reaction to questions about the value of an MLIS degree and its impact on employment opportunities.

Survey at: http://surveys.lrs.org/respond.php?sid=31

Nicolle and Zeth
Library Research Service
Colorado State Library
www.LRS.org http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=231 Librarians working in school, academic, special, and public libraries may be interested in the newest Field Initiated Study (FIS).

This study includes two documents, compiling resources about the responsible disposal of library materials. The Recycling in Libraries document includes a summary of the responses from three Libnet inquiries regarding weeding and disposal policies at public, school, academic, and special libraries. The Weeding document is a list of resources collected for Library People, Coloradoand#8217;s statewide friends group.

You may click on the titles above or see our Field Initiated Studies section for more information.

-Amanda
arybin@du.edu http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=227 Released each year as part of National Library Week, ALA's 2008 State of America's Libraries report covers trends in school, public, and academic libraries, as well as specific issues like outreach and diversity, legislation, and intellectual freedom.

Report webpage: http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/presscentera/piopresskits/2008statereport/2008statehome.cfm
Full report: http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/presscentera/piopresskits/2008statereport/draft-0001c-press.pdf
Press Release: http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/april2008/2008statereport.cfm

~Nicolle
steffen_n@cde.state.co.us http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=224 "InterConnections: A National Study of Users and Potential Users of Online Information," a study from IMLS released on March 6, "...offers insight into the ways people search for information in the online age, and how this impacts the ways they interact with public libraries and museums, both online and in person," according to the press release.

The study's conclusion lists five main findings:

1) Libraries and museums evoke consistent, extraordinary public trust among diverse adult users.

2) An explosion of available information inspires the search for more information.

3) The public benefits significantly from the presence of museums and libraries on the Internet.

4) Internet use is positively related to in-person visits to museums and libraries.

5) Museums and public libraries serve important and complementary roles in supporting a wide variety of information needs.

Reports
Press Release

~Nicolle
steffen@cde.state.co.us http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=220 According to U.S. News and World Report, librarianship is one of "31 careers with bright futures." The article says, "Forget about that image of librarian as a mousy bookworm. Librarians these days must be high-tech information sleuths..."

Librarian: Executive Summary
Best Careers 2008 article

~Nicolle
steffen_n@cde.state.co.us
http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=218 From the New York Library Association press release:
"New York State schools with certified librarians have higher scores on average on the fourth grade English Language Arts (ELA) test than those who donand#8217;t, according to the findings of researchers at Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool)." Press release here.

See the School Library Impact Studies page for more information about how school librarians help students achieve standards in Colorado and the U.S.

~Nicolle
steffen_n@cde.state.co.us
http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=217 Have you ever looked at an hourly salary on a job posting and wanted to quickly know how it translated to an annual wage? Or vice versa? The Library Research Service now provides a simple wage calculator which allows you to provide hours worked per week and an hourly, weekly, monthly, or annual salary, and return wages for all of those time frames. Additionally, this calculator has been integrated into Colorado State Library's LibraryJobline.org. Now, as you look at a job posting, clicking on the word "Calculate" next to the salary information will open up a new window with our wage calculator, preloaded with the salary data for that job.

Zeth
lietzau_z@cde.state.co.us
http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=214 "This study was commissioned by the British Library and JISC [Joint Information Systems Committee] to identify how the specialist researchers of the future, currently in their school or pre-school years, are likely to access and interact with digital resources in five to ten yearsand#8217; time. This is to help library and information services to anticipate and react to any new or emerging behaviours in the most effective way. In this report, we define the `Google generationand#8217; as those born after 1993 and explore the world of a cohort of young people with little or no recollection of life before the web."

From the introduction to "Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future"
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/reppres/gg_final_keynote_11012008.pdf

British Library: http://www.bl.uk/
JISC: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/


~Nicolle
steffen_n@cde.state.co.us http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=212 Are you a school librarian? You can take the national survey at www.AASLsurvey.org.

ALA Press Release:
and#8220;The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will launch the second year of its longitudinal study "School Libraries Count!" on Jan. 11. The survey will close March 15. The study will gather basic data about the status of school library media programs across the country, which AASL will then use to develop advocacy tools to support school libraries at the local, state and national levels. In addition, this year the survey will solicit information about the role of social networking and other electronic tools used in instruction by library media specialists and their classroom teacher collaborators.and#8221;

Complete press release at: http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/january2008/long08.htm

More about School Libraries Count!: http://www.aaslsurvey.org/

~Nicolle
steffen_n@cde.state.co.us http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=209 The 2007-08 Preliminary School Library Statistics are now available from our school statistics page. This year, a record 819 schools responded to the survey. Take a look at the statistics and school library profiles to see how your school library stacks up.

Zeth
lietzau_z@cde.state.co.us http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=203 The results of the 2006 AskColorado Customer Satisfaction survey are examined in this fast facts. Since its inception, AskColorado has steadily increased both in number of user sessions and customer satisfaction levels. To read this fast facts go to http://www.lrs.org/documents/fastfacts/255_AskCO.pdf http://www.lrs.org/blog/viewitem.php?post=200