This research brief describes recent methodological initiatives with the Public Libraries Survey. It describes how starting with the 2022 data, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) updated geographic identifiers to better align Census Bureau geography types with the library's legal service area, with the goal of enabling data users to…

The "LJ" Index of Public Library Service 2010, "Library Journal"'s national rating of public libraries, identifies 258 "star" libraries. Created by Ray Lyons and Keith Curry Lance, and based on 2008 data from the IMLS, it rates 7,407 public libraries. The top libraries in each group get five, four, or three stars. All included libraries, stars or…

E-books have been around for more than 10 years but are still a relatively new phenomenon to many librarians and publishers. With the introduction of e-book readers, the e-book has become mainstream, with recent triple-digit annual increases in sales. But what place do they have in the library? In this volume, Sue Polanka brings together a variety…

It has been a decade since the first aggregator journal packages began to become available at academic and public libraries throughout the United States of America. During these 10 years, the library and information science community has published numerous articles on the pros and cons of this method of delivery and these collections, more than…

Reports on Counting on Results, a project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services that developed and tested tools to standardize and simplify the collection of outcome data from public library patrons. Discusses results of questionnaires that addressed "Planning for Results" service responses. (Author/LRW)

Describes how salary data are collected for "The Municipal Year Book," and presents 10 tables compiled from the 1988 yearbook which provide salary data on library directors in cities of various size populations (from more than 1,000,000 to less than 2,500). Data are broken down by geographic region, city type, and form of government. (MES)

This paper reviews and summarizes the procedures used by the Library Research Center (LRC) of the University of Illinois to process data from Illinois public library annual reports filed with the Illinois State Library (ISL). The complete processing cycle is described, including: (1) preparation and revision of reporting forms; (2) their…

Describes the development of the Federal State Cooperative System (FSCS) for Public Library Data, a system that combines the annual collection of data from public libraries by state agencies with the reporting of national public library statistics by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Future plans are also discussed. (six…

Describes how library decision-making was enhanced by a systematic study of patrons, services, and effectiveness based on the concept known as performance measures for public libraries. Improvements in the data gathering and analysis techniques are noted; also provided are survey instruments, examples of selected revised forms, and references. (SW)

For more than five years the Houston Public Library has collected statistics for measuring networked collections and services based on emerging guidelines. While the guidelines have provided authority and stability to the process, the clarification process continues. The development of information discovery software, such as federated search tools…

Describes the use of focus groups to determine young adult needs in public libraries, based on experiences at the Johnson County Library system in Kansas City. Highlights include the benefits of focus groups over surveys, time involvement, how to design questions to ask, and compiling data. (LRW)

This report describes the pilot data collections and post-questionnaire interview activities of the Council on Library Resources (CLR)/Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Online Public Access Project. The background of the project is briefly described, the purpose and adminstration of the post-questionnaire interviews are outlined, and pilot…

Examines "A Planning Process for Public Libraries," published by the Public Library Association in 1980, discussing the mission of the public library, survey research and data collection, library goals and objectives, planning strategies, budgeting, the political environment, and output measures. Twenty-six references are cited. (EJS)

Explains the relationship of two Public Library Association publications concerning measurement of public library service: "Performance Measures for Public Libraries" (1973) and "Output Measures for Public Libraries: A Manual for Standardized Procedures" (1982). The importance of data collection methods is noted in discussing…

This report reflects the results of an evaluation of the definitions used in the annual Public Library Statistics (PLS) program, a joint federal-state information collection project, and is intended to raise specific issues for discussion among the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Federal State Cooperative System (FSCS), and…