1. 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

2. 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?

3. National Core Library Statistics Program
1996 survey overview at IFLA:

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

5. Libraries in the NCLSP 1994-1999
1994, 1995, 1996, or ,050 libraries , , , , , 1995, and , , 1995, 1996, and ,047

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

7. 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

10. 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

11. Libraries by Type in the 1999 NCLSP Survey
Public libraries
Provincial/Territorial
University
College 110
Government 171
Not-For-Profit 155
For-Profit
National
Total ,490

12. 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

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

14. 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

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

16. Question Item Response Rates -- All Libraries, 1999

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

18. Universe of Canadian Libraries (service points)

19. Telling the Whole Story: NCLSP vs. All Libraries
Measure NCLSP* Canada*
Inquiries 31 million 40 million
Circulations 380 million 403 million
Libraries 4, ,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

20. 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?

21. Time Use of Canadians* Personal care 10.4 Socializing 1.9
Work, paid & unpaid 7.8 hours per day
Personal care
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”