Use of Data for the Rural Community SDC Conference December 2-3, 2009

Timothy Owens, SDC & ARSL President

ARSL Mission To provide a network of people and materials to support rural and small library staff, volunteers, and trustees to integrate the library thoroughly with the life and work of the community it serves.

ARSL Objectives 1.To organize a network of members concerned about the growth and development of useful library services in rural and small libraries; 2.To provide opportunities for the continuing education of members; 3.To provide mechanisms for members to exchange ideas and to meet on a regular basis; 4.To cultivate the practice of librarianship and to foster a spirit of cooperation among members of the profession, enabling them to act together for mutual goals;

ARSL Objectives 5.To serve as a source of current information about trends, issues, and strategies; 6.To partner with other library and non-library groups and organizations serving rural and small library communities; 7.To collect and disseminate information and resources that are critical to this network; 8.To advocate for rural and small libraries at the local, state, and national levels.

ARSL

What’s Rural?

…depends…

What’s Rural? What is Rural? Patricia LaCaille John Beltsville, MD : USDA, National Agricultural Library, Rural Information Center, [2008]

What’s Rural? Defining the “Rural” in Rural America John Cromartie and Shawn Bucholtz Amber Waves, June 2008 United States Department of Agriculture: Economic Research Service Features/RuralAmerica.htm

What’s Rural? 3 models for defining: Administrative Land-Use Economic

What’s Rural? The administrative concept, used by many USDA rural development programs, defines urban along municipal or other jurisdictional boundaries. The land-use concept, used by the Census Bureau, identifies urban areas based on how densely settled the area is—the picture of settlement you get from an airplane. The economic concept, used in most rural research applications, recognizes the influence of cities on labor, trade, and media markets that extend well beyond densely settled cores to include broader “commuting areas.”

What’s Rural? PLS Data Administrative Entity Element 204 Geographic Code CI1—Municipal Government (city, town or village) (exactly) CI2—Municipal Government (city, town or village) (most nearly) CO1—County/Parish (exactly) CO2—County/Parish (most nearly) MA1—Metropolitan Area (exactly) MA2—Metropolitan Area (most nearly) MC1—Multi-County (exactly) MC2—Multi-County (most nearly) SD1—School District (exactly) SD2—School District (most nearly) OTH—Other

What’s Rural? PLS Data Administrative Entity Element 208 Population of the Legal Service Area <2,500 ? <5,000 ? <25,000 ?

What’s Rural? PLS Data Outlet Data Element 710 Metropolitan Status Code CC—Central City NC—Metropolitan Area, but Not Within Central City Limits NO—Not in a Metropolitan Area

What’s Rural? 2007 PLS Data <2,500 <5,000 <25,000 AK74% 84% 95% AR0% 31% CA2% 3% 17% NY29% 47% 84% NC0% 3% 12% TX16% 35% 75%

What’s Rural? 2007 PLS Data 17,346 outlets 8,347 “Not in MSA” 48%

What’s Rural? 2007 PLS Data Outlet Not in MSA AK94% AR81% CA10% NY30% NC43% TX34%

Where Now? Questions / Discussion

Final Shameless Plug: 2010 ARSL Conference “Magic in the Mile High City” Denver, Colorado October 14 th -16 th