In May 2013, about 74,000 free copies of the book Duck on a Bike were distributed to 4-year-olds across Colorado during the second annual One Book 4 Colorado program (OB4CO), which aims to increase awareness of the importance of early-childhood reading. Parental response to the program was positive, as indicated by survey results. Seventy-five percent […]
Public
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 […]
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 […]
Image credit: Cynthia Howe YOUmedia is a 21st-century learning space for teens located in 5 Chicago Public Library branches. It provides a place where teens can access and learn about digital media (photo and video editing, web design, podcasting, audio recording, etc.), and collaborate with their peers and mentors in a supportive environment. The University […]
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
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
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 […]
Public libraries serve 96% of the U.S. population, or approximately 297.6 million people
Image credit: Justin Grimes “There’s always that joke that there’s a Starbucks on every corner,” says Justin Grimes, a statistician with the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington. “But when you really think about it, there’s a public library wherever you go, whether it’s in New York City or some place in rural […]
Four in five parents say libraries are very important for their children, according to the Pew Research Center
A recent study of parents, children, libraries, and reading found that four in five (79%) parents of minor children (under age 18) stated that libraries were very important for their children. This number rose even higher for parents with children under the age of 6: 84% of these parents described libraries as very important. Nearly […]
Attending ALA Annual? Here are the research & statistics sessions that are on our radar
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 […]