2011

Public Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies: What’s Happening in Colorado?

June 2011

LRS’s newest Fast Facts, “Web 2.0 and Colorado Public Libraries: 2010 Update,” highlights the Colorado findings from our 2010 nationwide study of U.S. public libraries and their use of web technologies. Colorado’s results generally mirrored those of libraries nationwide, although it is ahead of its peers in areas such as web presence among libraries that […]

Fast Facts: Colorado Library Job Trends

May 2011

There appears to be more competition than ever for Colorado’s library jobs, based on recent activity on LibraryJobline.org. A new Fast Facts about the jobs posted on the site over the past four years has just been published: “Colorado’s Library Job Climate: 2007-2010: Insights from LibraryJobline.org” highlights trends in total job postings, salaries, degree requirements, […]

New 60-Second Survey: What is the Value of an MLIS to you?

May 2011

In 2008 Library Research Service launched our first 60-second survey, “What is the Value of an MLIS to You?,” in response to lively discussions about this topic on various listservs. Close to 2,000 library professionals weighed in, with over 1,000 leaving thoughtful comments about the MLIS degree. Three years later, as libraries and the environments […]

2010 Public Library Annual Report – Preliminary Data Posted

May 2011

The preliminary data from the Public Library Annual Report is now available on LRS.org. See Colorado Public Library Statistics and Profiles at: http://www.lrs.org/pub_stats.php. For access to Colorado Public Library Interactive Statistics (LRS-i), use the new interface at: http://www.lrs.org/public/stats.php?year=2010. For Input-Output Measures, see: http://www.lrs.org/public/cannedstats.php?year=2010. Over the next 4 weeks I will be conducting second-round edit checks […]

New Closer Look Report: U.S. Public Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies 2010

April 2011

Libraries’ online presence is a constant topic of conversation, with anecdotal insights dominating the discussion. A broader picture of what libraries across the country – and throughout Colorado – are doing with web technologies and web 2.0 tools is a little harder to find.  That’s where LRS stepped in with a paint brush. In spring […]

Preliminary Public Library Data Now Available

April 2011

Attn: Public Library Directors & PLAR Respondents Preliminary data from the 2010 Public Library Annual Report (PLAR) is now available in an Excel spreadsheet and ready for your review. There is still time for revisions, so please let me know if you have any changes to your library’s data. A more current version of the […]

2011 State of America’s Libraries — ALA Releases Annual Report

April 2011

From ALA: “Library trends of the past year are detailed in the State of America’s Libraries, 2011, released during National Library Week, April 10-16, 2011, by the American Library Association. Even as budget-cutters take aim at libraries and their services, more than two-thirds of the 1,000-plus adults contacted in a survey in January said that […]

The Impact of the Recession on Public Library Use in Colorado

March 2011

LRS is excited to announce the release of our most recent Closer Look report, “The Impact of the Recession on Public Library Use in Colorado.” We examined Colorado public library use prior to and after the recession’s onset. Our findings indicated that from 2006 to 2007 (prior to the recession), visits per capita, circulation per […]

CO Public Library Technology Data Now Available

March 2011

The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey has released state level data and you can find the Colorado report at: http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/?q=node/32&&id=CO&&u. In addition, there are state briefs on E-Government and Employment in public libraries. Public Libraries & the Internet: http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/?q=Home-Page

Colorado School Library Salaries: Mixed News

February 2011

Based on data collected by the Colorado Department of Education, the state’s school librarian/media consultants and assistants have seen notable increases in their salaries in the last five years. For the librarians, that increase has kept them in the ballpark with national salary averages for school librarians, but Colorado school library assistants continue to earn […]