Fast Facts Reports

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 […]

2010 Academic Librarian Salaries: West and Southwest Region Offers Competitive Pay

June 2011

At a time when unemployed academic librarians worry about the prospects of finding a job, many employed librarians face cuts in pay or hours and wonder how their salaries compare to those of other librarians in similar positions across the country. Using the 2010 American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) Salary Survey[note]2010 ALA-APA Salary Survey […]

Web 2.0 and Colorado’s Public Libraries: 2010 Update

June 2011

In spring 2010, the Library Research Service (LRS) repeated its observational study, first conducted in 2008, of U.S. Public Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies.[note]Visit the LRS website for the Closer Look Report on the original study, as well as a Fast Facts covering the 2008 Colorado results http://www.lrs.org/public/webtech/.[/note] The 689 libraries included in […]

Colorado’s Library Job Climate: 2007-2010 Insights from LibraryJobline.org

May 2011

Over 500 registered employers use LibraryJobline.org to post open positions. The site is managed by the Library Research Service, a unit of the Colorado State Library, and most of the jobs posted (89% in 2010) are located in Colorado. Jobseekers can tailor searches to their own qualifications and preferences and receive customized emails when new […]