Public

On average, each Colorado resident checked out 12 items from public libraries in 2012.
August 2013

We know that borrowing books is a very important service libraries provide – 80% of Americans say so. But how does this opinion translate into action? In Colorado last year, libraries circulated more than 66 million items, according to the 2012 Annual Public Library Survey. In other words, each Colorado resident checked out an average […]

August 2013

Image credit: Santa Clara County Library District What value does your library provide to users? A recent return on investment (ROI) study of Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) examined how their community benefited from the library in 5 areas: Enhancing early literacy and youth education Promoting lifelong learning and personal growth Building and bridging […]

July 2013 ebook price comparison chart from Douglas County Libraries
July 2013

According to ALA’s 2013 State of America’s Libraries Report, 2012 was yet another tumultuous year for libraries in their quest to achieve fairness in e-book lending. ALA President Maureen Sullivan published an open letter to America’s publishers in September, requesting change, after Penguin (one of the “Big Six” publishers) denied libraries access to its titles, […]

38% of younger Americans have used computers and the internet at libraries in the past year

July 2013

Image credit: Pew Internet The Pew Research Center’s newest stats from its Internet & American Life Library Services Survey dive into younger Americans’ (16-29 years old) library and reading habits and reveal an interesting blend of technology and traditional service expectations. Perhaps most telling is that this group is significantly more likely to have either […]

National 2011 Public Library Data Files Now Available

June 2013

The national Public Libraries Survey data for 2011 is now available on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) web site:  http://www.imls.gov/research/pls_data_files.aspx.  The data files are available in csv, xls, flat (ascii) and SAS formats.  The FY 2011 PLS report will be released in the early fall 2013. Massive spreadsheets not your cup of tea? IMLS […]

Attending ALA Annual? Here are the research & statistics sessions that are on our radar

June 2013

Will you be attending ALA Annual? These are the research and statistics sessions that are on our radar: Friday 8:30AM-4:00PM (preconference): Planning, Assessing, and Communicating Library Impact: Putting the Standards for Libraries of Higher Education into Action 9:00AM-3:00PM (preconference): International Statistics: Helping Library Users Understand the Global Community Saturday 8:30-9:30AM: Data-Driven Services: Library Research Roundtable […]