Alberta Library Conference More Libraries than Tim Hortons Telling Our Story with Help from the National Core Library Statistics Program Alvin M. Schrader Alberta Library Conference Jasper, Alberta April 2003

Big Picture Questions How do we tell the national story about libraries and librarians? What is their importance to Canadian society and culture? What value do they add? What impact do they have? What is the public face we want for libraries and librarians? How do we communicate our accountability? How do we convince politicians and the public of the value of Canadian libraries to Canadian society? What concepts and language will resonate with politicians and the public? effectiveness? indicators? performance indicators? measures? performance measures? outputs? benefits? impacts? service quality?

National Core Library Statistics Program http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/8/3/r3-203-e.html 1996 survey overview at IFLA: http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla65/papers/035-120e.htm

Session Overview evolution of NCLSP NCLSP survey process 1999 NCLSP survey highlights structuring NCLSP survey presentation current NCLSP issues and challenges

Libraries in the NCLSP 1994-1999 1994, 1995, 1996, or 1999 2,050 libraries 1994 1,408 1995 1,777 1996 1,634 1999 1,490 1994, 1995, and 1996 1,267 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1999 1,047

23 Measures of Library Activity in NCLSP general information (institutional characteristics) - 5 questions service transactions (inquiries, circulations, ILL) - 6 questions staff - 5 questions collections - 3 questions expenditures - 4 questions

Data Collection Phases in Questionnaire Research creating or obtaining a list of target participants (population or sample) creating or obtaining, and testing, the survey instrument mailing survey and monitoring returns processing returns for data analysis

Data Processing, Verification, and Analysis with SPSS SPSS for Windows is a menu-driven data management system for creating, manipulating, and analyzing electronic data data processing -- creating the file structure, and inputting the data data verification -- error-checking the data data analysis -- statistical analysis and graphical presentation of data

Libraries by Type in the 1999 NCLSP Survey Public 910 libraries Provincial/Territorial 8 University 83 College 110 Government 171 Not-For-Profit 155 For-Profit 52 National 1 Total 1,490

1999 NCLSP Survey Inquiries 40 million Circulations 403 million Library Measure All Libraries* Inquiries 40 million Circulations 403 million Library service points 22,000 Collections 465 million Staff 38,000 FTE Expenditures $3 billion-$3.5 billion * imputed values

Example: Attribution of Circulation Costs, by Library Sector, 1995 Academic $ 13.86 per item circulated Public 3.29 For-Profit 7.14 Government 73.64 Non-Profit 17.13 National 282.82 All Libraries 5.30 (source: Table 13, p. 82, 1995 report)

National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report, 1999: Cultural and Economic Impact of Canadian Libraries on Canadian Society by Alvin M. Schrader and Michael R. Brundin March 2002 National Library Bibliothèque nationale of Canada du Canada

Issues and Concerns for NCLSP timeliness regularity funding continuity validity consistency completeness accuracy telling the story

Question Item Response Rates -- All Libraries, 1999

Completeness of Representation in 1999 NCLSP public libraries -- almost all academic libraries -- 75% special libraries -- very low school libraries -- none

Universe of Canadian Libraries (service points)

Telling the Whole Story: NCLSP vs. All Libraries Measure NCLSP* Canada* Inquiries 31 million 40 million Circulations 380 million 403 million Libraries 4,300 22,000 (service points) Collections 301 million 465 million Staff 25,000 FTE 60,000 FTE Expenditures $2.1-$2.6 billion $3-$3.5 billion * imputed values

Central Questions for Library and Information Services What business are we in? What value do we add to the universe of cultural records? What value do we add to the quality of life of the people we serve? How do we answer the big “So What” questions?

Time Use of Canadians* Personal care 10.4 Socializing 1.9 Work, paid & unpaid 7.8 hours per day Personal care 10.4 Socializing 1.9 Television, reading & other passive leisure 2.7 Sports, movies & other entertainment events 0.2 Active sports & other active leisure 1.0 * 15 years of age and over Source: Statistics Canada, “Overview of the Time Use of Canadians in 1998”