2011-12 School Library Survey Now Open

Letters have been sent to public school libraries throughout the state announcing the opening of the 2011-12 Colorado School Library Survey. It can be accessed at http://www.lrs.org/slsurvey. We have made substantial revisions to the survey based on respondents’ comments to better reflect the current state of school libraries, and we look forward to getting the input of all Colorado public school librarians! The data gathered in the annual school library survey provides library professionals with important information for planning, evaluating, and budgeting. Login information is included in the letter, but if you haven’t received your letter and would like to get started, feel free to call LRS at 303-866-6900 or email lrs@lrs.org to get your information.

~Linda

New article in Computers in Libraries–U.S. Public Libraries and Web Technologies

We have an article in the September 2011 issue of Computer in Libraries, “U.S. Public Libraries and Web Technologies: What’s Happening Now?”. It highlights the findings from a study about public libraries’ use of Web 2.0 technologies that we released last spring (available as a Closer Look report). Key findings from the study included that:

• 80% of U.S. public libraries serving LSA populations of 500,000+ had a Facebook account in 2010. More than half (58%) of libraries serving 100,000-499,999 people were on Facebook, as were 56% of libraries serving 25,000-99,999 people.
• In 2010, 66% of public libraries serving LSA populations of 500,000+ had a Twitter account.
• Even when controlling for staff and collection expenditures, being an “early adopter” library (i.e., libraries in the top 20% of their population group in terms of Web 2.0 adoption) was a significant predictor of visits, circulation, and program attendance.

Colorado-specific findings from this study are available in a Fast  Facts.

School Library Studies-Next Steps

In response to some questions we’ve received about our School Library Journal article and our future plans for school library research:

The results reported in this article represent the first part of a larger study we are conducting to look at the relationship between school librarian staffing and achievement scores. Our next step is to do a more in-depth analysis of Colorado schools, where we have access to staffing and achievement test data at the building level (the data used for our SLJ article were at the state level). Look for a report of the results in the coming months. We encourage others to pursue this type of research in their state/region.

~Linda

New study shows that as the number of school librarians increases, so do NAEP reading scores

A new study by LRS staff past and present finds that in states that gained school librarians between 2004 and 2008, NAEP 4th grade reading scores increased at a greater rate than in states that lost librarians during this time period. These differences were particularly pronounced for poor, minority, and ELL students. See the complete report here: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissue/currentissue/891612-427/something_to_shout_about_new.html.csp

~Linda

NCES Updates Compare Academic Libraries Web Tool with 2010 Data

The Compare Academic Libraries tool allows users to compare college and university libraries on a wide range of characteristics. It also allows the user to view and download historical data of a library of interest as far back as FY 2000.

To view this updated tool, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/compare/

This web tool is a product of the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education.

2009 Public Library Data Files Released

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced the release of the 2009 Public Libraries Survey (PLS) data. It is available on the IMLS web site at: http://harvester.census.gov/imls/data/pls/index.asp. All 50 states and the District of Columbia participate in the Public Libraries Survey every year and the collection includes data on visitation, circulation, the availability and use of library computing resources, staffing, library collections and services, and fiscal information such as operating revenue and expenditures.

Our new American Libraries feature article– “Who’s the Boss”–is now available

Last November, we asked you in a 60-second survey to share your opinions about privatization and public libraries. We just published the results of this study as a feature article in American Libraries: “Who’s the Boss? Does Private Management Have a Place in Public Libraries?”. Access the article here. The study’s results were also summarized in an earlier blog post.

Thanks again to everyone who responded to our survey! Your participation and thought-provoking comments provided us with an excellent foundation from which to work as we wrote the article. We’re excited to continue sharing your opinions about hot topics in LIS in future studies.

~Linda

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Who is in the Queue: Public Access Computer Users

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) just published the research brief:  ”Who’s in the Queue? A Demographic Analysis of Public Access Computer Users and Uses in U.S. Public Libraries” by Carlos A. Manjarrez and Kyle Schoembs.

 Highlights from the report include:

• The demographic analysis in this brief dispels some myths about the beneficiaries of public access computer services in U.S. public libraries. Public access computer users largely resemble the general public in terms of age, education, and even in the overall level of home computer and Internet access.

 • The fact that many different people report that they are able to fulfill a wide variety of information needs is a clear indication that public libraries are providing much more than basic technology access

• Substantive uses of public access computers mirror the needs people have at different stages of the life course. Young people identify education activities as their main use, people between the ages of 25 and 54 identifying employment activities as their top use, and people 55 and older reporting health and wellness research as the main public access computer use.

Research brief link: http://www.imls.gov/pdf/Brief2011_04.pdf

Librarian Job Satisfaction Survey

Library Journal’s 2011 Job Satisfaction Survey–Rocked by Recession, Buoyed by Service:  “Budget cuts from coast to coast have turned up the heat, but librarians still love their jobs. Realistically, however, money shortages have reduced advancement opportunities and many feel they’ll have to leave libraries before retiring.”

Read the article at: http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/newslettersnewsletterbucketljxpress/890617-441/lj_2011_job_satisfaction_survey.html.csp

Read about the results from the LRS survey “What is the Value of an MLIS to You?” at: http://www.lrs.org/news/2011/06/14/results-from-the-60-second-survey-what-is-the-value-of-an-mlis-to-you/

2010-2011 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Report Now Available

ALA officially released the 2010-2011 Public Library Funding & Technology Access report: http://www.ala.org/plinternetfunding. 

The full survey report, including state data, is available at http://plinternetsurvey.org/?q=node/13.  

Also available is a highly shareable executive summary: http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2010_2011/plftas11-execsummary.pdf.