Fast Facts Reports

Older Patrons Rely on Internet Access & Technology Assistance Provided by Colorado Public Libraries

March 2003

Public libraries are striving to meet the growing technical needs of Colorado pensioners. Providing opportunities for equal participation of all citizens in the information society decreases the disadvantages in day-to-day uses (i.e., online banking, news, government and medical information) that technology “have-nots” face. Sometimes referred to as a “gulf” rather than a “divide” when it […]

Public Libraries and Adult Literacy

February 2003

Adult literacy levels correlate to employment and wages. The National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) done in 1992 by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that literacy proficiency is strongly related to levels of formal schooling. In general, literacy proficiency is lowest for individuals who have not graduated from high school rising to highest […]

Kids & Computers

January 2003

The ““digital divide”” is a social phenomenon created by the social obstacles that limit access to computer technology and digital resources. Providing access to this technology and these resources are important parts of public library service in the 21st century. In March 2002, the Library Research Service conducted a survey of users of Internet computers […]

One Out of Four Colorado Public Schools Has No Librarian

November 2002

The latest data on libraries in Colorado public schools indicates that endorsed, professionally-trained school librarians are not available to students in all schools. More than 25 percent of the state’s public schools have no librarian at all. The shortage of school librarians is especially acute in elementary and combined schools. Almost 30 percent of elementary […]

Half of Colorado School Library Books More Than 15 Years Old

September 2002

A lot has happened in the world since 1986: DNA was first used to convict criminals (1987). Pan Am flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland (1988). The Berlin Wall fell (1989). Lech Walesa became President of Poland, Nelson Mandela was freed, and Iraq invaded Kuwait (1990). The Soviet Union collapsed (1991). Riots in Los […]

Colorado Public Libraries Outpace National Trend on Circulation per Capita,1988-2000

April 2002

Colorado residents check out books and other items from public libraries at a higher rate than Americans in general. While the national trend has increased relatively modestly, from about 5.0 to 6.5 items per resident between 1988 and 2000, circulation per capita for public libraries in Colorado has nearly doubled, from about 5.0 to 9.5 […]

Earnings of Library Staff in the Mountain West Low Compared to Workers in Similar Jobs

February 2002

“Nobody goes into library science to make money.” Nobody knows the truth of this truism better than a library staff member on payday. Professional librarians are required to earn master’s degrees in library and information science. Yet, librarians earn much less than many others in professional and technical fields that do not require such high […]

Managers’ Salaries for Colorado’s Largest Public Libraries Fail to Keep Pace with Regional, National Trends

January 2002

According to the ALA Survey of Librarian Salaries 2001, the status of compensation for library personnel in Colorado is mixed. The salaries paid to senior management (i.e., director, deputy/associate/assistant director, department head) of the state’s largest libraries (i.e., serving 100,000 or more) are consistently lower than the norms for the West/Southwest region and the nation […]

Stronger High School Libraries–Especially Those with More Extensive Networks and Licensed Databases–Linked to Higher CSAP Scores

August 2001

In 2000, How School Librarians Help Kids Achieve Standards: The Second Colorado Study identified characteristics of library media programs associated with higher levels of academic achievement for elementary and middle school students. That report did not address the impact of libraries on high school students because test score data for those grades were not yet […]