The survey focuses on four main indicators of public library activity: visits, circulation, program attendance, and computer sessions. Both circulation and visits are trending downward since their peak; however, the PLS continues to show a ten-year increase in both measures.

• Physical visitation decreased by 8.2 percent since FY 2009 but is showing an increase over the prior ten-year period.
• Circulation has decreased by 3.6 percent since the FY 2010 peak, but has a ten-year increase of 25.4 percent.
• Program attendance continues to increase, 3.5 percent over FY 2012 and 28.5 percent over FY 2006.
• Computer usage in public libraries is decreasing, 333.9 million user sessions for a 9.2 percent decrease over FY 20ten. But since this figure does not include metrics for public library wireless and broadband services, IMLS is looking into adding measures to reflect this activity.

PLS has demonstrated a correlation between library usage and investments in collection, programs, computers, staff time, and expertise. After adjusting for inflation, the national trend is toward an increase in local government revenue and a decrease in state contributions. Funding and expenditures for public libraries appear to be stabilizing. However, spending on physical collections have declined 14.5 percent over the past ten years. Meanwhile, electronic collections have seen a 186.8 percent increase over the same time period.

While spending may be declining, print materials still comprise the lion’s share of public library collections. Electronic collections are growing. Public libraries reporting e-book collections increased by 14.6 percent over FY 2012.

Staff expertise is another area stabilizing and growing in public libraries. Overall staff levels stabilized in FY 2013. Half of public libraries reported having at least one MLS librarian on staff. The percentage of librarians on staff has increased over the ten-year mark by 6.1 percent.

With 97 percent of public libraries participating, the PLS is a reliable source of comparative library data. The survey has been collected since 1988. To see how your state or your library compares with others, use the Supplementary Tables or the Compare Tool provided by the IMLS. State-by-state reports are not available for FY 2013 data.

Resources

“Public Libraries in the United States Survey: Fiscal Year 2013,” Institute of Museum and Library Services, March 15, 2016.

Supplementary Tables

IMLS’ Compare Tool

The post Public Library Usage Shows Ten-Year Increase first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

CIVICTechnologies, a company that provides location-based web-software solutions to libraries, published the first big data study on library services in March 2016. “Core Customer Intelligence: Public Library Reach, Relevance and Resilience” investigates the habits of core customers across ten library systems in the United States[1]. The goal of the study is to help libraries retain core customers and reach and recruit new audiences.

Collecting Core Customer Intelligence

The report defines “core customers” as a library system’s  top 20 percent of active cardholders who have checked out the most physical items. The ten library systems in this report were selected because they currently use  CIVICTechnology’s CommunityConnect, an application that integrates library data with demographics[2].

Together, these ten library systems serve 7.8 million people. The report looked at four million cardholders who made 6.74 million book and physical media checkouts in 2014 (the privacy of the individual customers was protected). Each library’s customer and checkout data was aligned with census block data, and an outside firm performed the analysis.  The report also defines customer types, a key tactic in market segmentation, such as “Green Acres” (rural upper-middle-class married couple families) and “NeWest Residents” (urban lower-middle-class mixed families)[3].

What the Report Found

As one might expect, core customer characteristics and behaviors are complex and unique from library system to library system. And even within individual library systems, the report found diversity within that top 20 percent of active cardholders. For example, some metro areas, such as Las Vegas, had “fragmented, diverse segments” of customer behavior.

Because of this diversity across systems, the report finds that the “business of public libraries is hyperlocal.” In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all model for core customer characteristics[4].

The report recommends that libraries use core customer intelligence do the following:

• Reach—The report found that libraries have core customers in every major community market segment. Data can help libraries gauge how effective their reach is.
• Relevance—The study found that libraries have relevance across a variety of customer segments. Libraries can benchmark and measure the strength of library connections to the community.
• Resilience—Data gives libraries the tools to stay flexible and adaptable in complex community and business environments.

The next steps from this report might be the creation of a toolkit or guide to exploring big data collection and reporting for public libraries. The report provides some excellent framework for getting started, but staff whose libraries did not participate in the study might wonder how they can use these same tactics. With some direction, other library systems can be empowered to make data-informed decisions as well.

Diving Even Deeper Into Library Data

While this report only covers ten library systems, it opens up a conversation about how libraries can borrow strategies from the sales and marketing world and it apply it to their own communities. Public Libraries Online’s Kristen Whitehair writes that there is great potential for crossover between the field of data science and libraries[5].  As libraries become more customer service-oriented, this sort of research is vital for longevity.

It would be fascinating to continue this research and expand it to digital items, such as e-books or audiobooks, library online database use, or even programming. Library Journal’s Lisa Peet interviewed some of the participating libraries, who shared that they’d like to see a similar study on these various facets of library service[6]. Hopefully this initial study helps pave the way for libraries to continue learning more about the customers they serve.

References

[1] Mark Futterman and Danielle Patrick Milam, “Core Customer Intelligence: Public Library Reach, Relevance, and Resilience,” CIVICTechnologies, March 2016.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Kristin Whitehair, “More than Buzz Words: Big Data and Data Science,” Public Libraries Online, May 9, 2016.

[6] Lisa Peet, “Core Customer Study Analyzes Library Demographics,” Library Journal, March 29, 2016.

The post Using Big Data to Address Local Needs first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Your library staff and patrons deserve the security of mind that comes with a security team. They can help with:

• Regulating unruly customers.
  As painful as it is to admit, not all who walk into the library are looking to enrich their lives peacefully. Fortunately, a good security worker can defuse a situation before it gets out of hand, whether it’s ejecting someone who is intoxicated or helping a lost child find their parent.
• Keeping buildings and collections up to safety codes
  In conjunction with maintenance staff, security officers also work with local safety officials to make sure all areas of the library (including physical storage areas) comply with fire codes and any other physical safety measures that must be taken, whatever the shape of the building.
• Protecting both patrons and employees during emergencies
  Ideally, all staff would know exactly what to do in case of a sudden fire, structural collapse, tornado, or on-the-job injury. Security workers strive toward that optimism while staying alert to the busy realities of everyday work life. They are there not only for direction and guidance during a real disaster but may also provide training or disaster drills.
• Coordinating and updating building access.
  As the eyes and ears of the library, security officers are in charge of the flow between the public and staff-only areas. This includes keeping updated, ongoing records of new and exiting employees—including volunteers, staff from other locations, members present for library board meetings, and cleaning, construction, or other third-party workers—not only to make sure only those authorized are coming and going but also to track where keys and access cards are at all times. In conjunction with human resources or on its own, the safety and security office can help keep the library’s backstage free and clear of trespassers.

Library security is an often-overlooked but incredibly important job on both a day-to-day and big-picture basis.

Further Reading:

Griffin, Melanie. “I’m Not Actually a Librarian: Volunteer Coordinator.” Public Libraries Online. January 15, 2016.

The post Safety & Security Workers Are An Integral Part of Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The pendulum, it swings. Eight years ago, my charge as a technology librarian was to herd the cats — to introduce new technology and ways of serving the digital patron to an organization that was largely skeptical of change. Cut to now, and I’m … still herding cats. Only, this time, it’s the folks at all levels of the organization who want to incorporate tech into every service they can think of. Sunrise, sunset.

Does that mean we’ve had a complete polar shift in the way technology operates in libraries? Yes, but also no. Maybe we’ll even throw a “maybe” in there for good measure. The pendulum will keep swinging, meaning we’ve got to be ready for shifts in either direction. Sound confusing? Of course it is. There’s a tremendous tension between the wish to provide stability and the urge to forge new ground. In our quest to provide quality service and access to all, it’s no wonder we feel pulled in all directions at once.

So here’s the thing: it’s our users who are jumping from one side of the spectrum to the other. And they often make that leap without even realizing it. A recent study of retail shopping trends by marketing firm Deloitte Digital [1] shows a dramatic fluidity between the way customers interact with a store’s virtual and physical spaces. Without any clear distinction between online and offline shopers, stores must focus on creating customer experiences that can successfully cross over. If we apply this to libraries, its’ a question of making our place-based services as welcoming as possible, while extending the ongoing conversation to the corners of the virtual realm we deem appropriate.

Designing experiences that navigate this tension (while acknowledging that it’s constantly shifting!) will be key for libraries as they engage with emerging trends in technology and service. Below are two situations where this tension is in full effect.

The Personal and the Protected
I’ve been following the work of the Library Freedom Project  with a great deal of interest. Project leader Alison Macrina received a Knight Foundation News Challenge grant earlier this year to spark a conversation on digital privacy in libraries. By installing anonymous browsing tools on public PCs and creating training resources for library staff and patrons alike, the Library Freedom Project seeks to raise awareness about online surveillance, and to help libraries preserve individual anonymity as they provide essential access to the Internet.

At the same time, there’s a strong urging to use digital tools to enhance the connection between libraries and patrons, offering personalized services founded on the retention of patron data.

Is it possible for these two approaches to coexist? Is it fair for libraries to say “we’re protecting your privacy” while simulatneously collecting significant amounts of information in order to provide better experiences? What happens when we bring third parties into this mix? If we are to find a balance in this discussion, it’s by providing transparency and context. People have a lot of trust in libraries, and that creates an opportunity to build a deeply personalized relationship with our users. By exposing the mechanics of personal data tracking, we might be able to provide the context for why this stuff matters. And if we can give our users control over their own data (by offering encrypted spaces where they can track — and selectively delete — their own library activity), we could get more people asking why they don’t have the same level of control when they visit other websites. Doing so offers our users a valuable object lesson in the value exchange that comes with any type of data collection, and gives them the tools to make informed decisions for dealing with other, potentially more invasivie entities.

Solidifying the Ephemeral
I’ve been hosting an event every few months at my library called Show Your Work, where I invite community members to make pitches for their creative, technological, or entrepreneurial works-in-progress. They take questions from the audience, and receive advice from a panel of local experts.

I’m always impressed with the variety of submissions we get. We’ve had people with established businesses, such as a company manufacturing guitars with interchangeable faceplates. Others are taking a more philanthropic bent, creating a mobile app to help restaurants and grocery stores wishing to donate to local food banks find people to make deliveries. What surpised me most where the projects that garnered the most enthusiastic responses: each one a proposal for a digital archive collecting ephemera from very specific local micro-communities.

In the wake of so many creative projects, why did these archives (one for artists, one for the city’s punk music scene) strike such a chord with our audience? Amid the robots and other cutting-edge creations being pitched, these collections seemed incongruous — even more so for us, as an institution looking to make its mark as a place known for the creation of new things. Show Your Work was designed to carve out space for the library as a place for makers, coders, and entrepreneurs. How is it that these digital pop-up libraires are resonating so well?

The fact that these archives stood out on two separate occasions seems to indicate that these niche-interest, extremely personal, born-digital colelctions are a space worth exploring. This pent-up demand may represent an underlying desire for someone to exist as chronicler of a city’s living history. The only things that have changed are the artifacts. This becomes all the more important as time catches up with our existing archives, and more of the material worth documenting only exists in a digital form. Without a traditional space for collecting these “ephemeral” digital creations, members of the community are rising up to meet the need.

As libraries seek to fill in the blank on the “books + ____” equation, this act of documentation can serve as a virtuous cycle, providing a near-instant cycle of community knowledge creation and preservation. As the rush to create, design, and iterate heats up, building collections in the moment can help add that element of reflection to the whole process.

Walking the Line
Finding the nuance in these polarized sitations can be incredibly difficult. As you seek out the right path for your organization, it’s important to remember that these aren’t dichotomies. Both sidees of the equation will always exist. There will be a place for libraries on each end of the debate. (After all, isn’t representing the many sides of an argument a core part of what we do?) These inconsistencies are what make the digital realm increasingly human. Carving a path through this analog divide is how we can make better places to live.

This is Where I Leave You
This is my last column for Public Libraries. I’ve been truly fortunate to have been given this platform to explore some of these foundational issues surrounding library technology. I’m grateful to each of you for reading, and I hope you’ll continue to share your stories of how your are adapting your libaries for the perpetually connected world. I wish you nothing more than the best of luck

Reference
1. Kasey Lobaugh and Jeff Simpson, “Deloitte Digital Study: Digitally-Influenced Sales in Retail Brick-and-Mortar Stores to Reach $2.2 Trillion by Year-End,” Deloitte Digital press release, May 13, 2015, accessed August 4, 2015.

The post The Wired Library – Tech Trends and Tension first appeared on Public Libraries Online.