Public

ALA-MLS Librarian Staffing Levels in Colorado and U.S. Public Libraries

July 2012

Among numerous other statistics, both the Colorado Public Library Annual Report (PLAR) and the Public Libraries Survey (PLS), a national report published by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), gather and publish information about the number of staff, librarians, and ALA-MLS librarians working in public libraries in the state and the nation. PLS […]

What is the Value of an MLIS to You?

June 2012

In May 2011, librarians, library staff, and library school students weighed in on the LRS 60-Second Survey The Value of an MLIS Degree to You. Almost 2,500 people from every state and 15 countries, representing all library types, responded. Around 1,300 respondents left comments, sharing additional thoughts on the value of the MLIS degree today. […]

“Great Service!” Coloradans Embrace AskColorado and AskAcademic

June 2012

AskColorado (www.askcolorado.org), a statewide virtual reference service, was launched on September 2, 2003. Colorado libraries joined the cooperative as members to provide 24/7 chat reference service to Coloradans. Over the years, the cooperative honed in on 3 essential and high-use entry-points for patrons: K-12, General, and Academic. These entry points remain today. In 2008 the […]

A Brief Look at Librarian Salaries in U.S. and Public Libraries

May 2012

The 2010 Public Library Annual Report (PLAR) produced by the Library Research Service and the 2010 ALA-APA Salary Survey published by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association both provide windows into the compensation earned by library professionals. Both the PLAR and the ALA-APA Salary Survey collect and publish salary data about similar library positions (see […]

Challenged Materials in Colorado Public Libraries, 2010

March 2012

Each year, the Library Research Service (LRS) collects data from Colorado’s 114 public libraries and presents it in the Public Library Annual Report. Among this data is information about which items were formally challenged in Colorado’s public libraries. In 2010, 20 libraries reported challenges, and 19 of those libraries responded to a follow-up survey detailing […]

CTBL Continues to Earn High Marks from Patrons

December 2011

In 2010, the Library Research Service (LRS) administered the fourth patron satisfaction and outcome survey for the Colorado Talking Book Library (CTBL). It is clear from the survey results and the comments left by respondents that the overwhelming majority of patrons are very pleased with CTBL service.  Overall satisfaction is quite high—nearly all respondents (98%) […]

Summer in Colorado Means Reading Programs for All Ages

December 2011

Summer reading programs have long been a staple offering of public libraries’ youth services departments. These programs incorporate strategies to engage young patrons in books, and to develop and maintain reading skills during school vacation. Recently, adult summer reading programs have also become common. Similar to children’s and teens’ programs, these programs engage patrons in […]

Should Public Library Management Be Privatized? Viewpoints from the Field

September 2011

In September 2010, the New York Times published an article about the privatization of public libraries.[note]Streitfeld, D. (2010, September 26). Anger as private company takes over libraries. New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/27libraries.html?scp=1&sq=libraries%20streitfeld&st=cse[/note] This article described the trend in some communities to turn over the management of public libraries to a private organization. In response to this […]

Program Attendance at Public Libraries is on the Rise

July 2011

Public libraries provide a wide range of programs for their communities, engaging, educating, and entertaining library patrons with everything from computer training to language classes to gaming. This important service has grown in recent years, with public libraries in the U.S. increasing the number of programs they offer by 33 percent between 2004 and 2008,[note]The […]