Welcome to the Public Library Annual Report Review Meeting August 26, 2014 Colorado Talking Book Library Denver, CO

Library Research Service Staff 2 Nicolle Steffen Director Linda Hofschire Research Analyst Meghan Wanucha Research Assistant

Please introduce yourself and share your library’s primary e-book and e-magazine delivery system (e.g., Overdrive, Zinio, Freegal). Introductions 3

Provide an opportunity for public library staff and stakeholders to share their perspective on the PLAR reporting process with LRS staff and each other, identifying… what works well what needs improvement what needs to be added/removed future needs/challenges Meeting Objectives 4

Public Library Annual Report (PLAR)  Data Elements  National: Public Library Survey (PLS)  State  Local  Annual  January – March reporting period  April – September edit check cycle  Fall – state data finalized 5

PLAR Reporting Cycle 6 National Statistics published by Institute for Museum & Library Services (IMLS) Public Libraries State Library Census Statistical Reports published on LRS.org

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Wireless Sessions – Annually Definition: Report the number of wireless sessions provided by the library wireless service annually. Technology Measures 8

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Virtual Visits – Number of unique visitors to library's website Definition: Unique visitors is the number of inferred individual people as determined by IP address (filtered for spiders and robots), within a designated reporting timeframe, with activity consisting of one or more visits to a site. Each individual is counted only once in the unique visitor measure for the reporting period, in this case, a month. Number of unique visitors to library's website should be calculated by summing the number of unique visitors for each month to get the annual total. Definition adapted from: Web Analytics Association; Web Analytics Definitions - Version 4.0; Authors: Jason Burby, Angie Brown & WAA Standards Committee Technology Measures 10

What is the best measure of virtual visits?  Unique visits versus total visits  Other measures Technology Measures 11

10 minute break

13 E-Books Definition: E-books are digital documents (including those digitized by the library), licensed or not, where searchable text is prevalent, and which can be seen in analogy to a printed book (monograph). Include non-serial government documents. E-books are loaned to users on portable devices (e-book readers) or by transmitting the contents to the user’s personal computer for a limited time. Include e-books held locally and remote e-books for which permanent or temporary access rights have been acquired. Report the number of physical or electronic units, including duplicates, for all outlets. Report the number of units. Report only items the library has selected as part of the collection exclude public domain/un- copyrighted e-books that have unlimited access. Colorado libraries that have added Project Gutenberg titles and MARC records to their OPAC should continue to include these titles in their count of e- books.

Why is this hard? E-book data collection & reporting issues…  Consistency  Comparability  Accuracy  Representativeness E-Resources 14

Counting E-Book resources  Consortium versus library purchases  Freading  Zinio  Freegal  Library created and/or owned content  Other E-Resources 15

Miscellaneous Issues & Parking Lot Discussions Public Library Annual Report (PLAR) 16

30 minute lunch break

Does your library have a Makerspace? How do you measure its use and impact? Welcome Back 18

Makerspace  Definition  Usage  Impact Meeting Room  Usage  Reporting Other Library As Place 19

Outlets  Reporting non-traditional outlets & usage  Other Library As Place 20

10 minute break

Reference Transactions Definition, Part 1: Reference transactions are information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs. A reference transaction includes information and referral service as well as unscheduled individual instruction and assistance in using information sources (including web sites and computer-assisted instruction). Count Readers Advisory questions as reference transactions. Information sources include (a) printed and non-printed material; (b) machine-readable databases (including computer-assisted instruction); (c) the library's own catalogs and other holdings records; (d) other libraries and institutions through communication or referral; and (e) persons both inside and outside the library. Reference & Beyond 22

Reference Transactions Definition, Part 2:When a staff member uses information gained from previous use of information sources to answer a question, the transaction is reported as a reference transaction even if the source is not consulted again. If a contact includes both reference and directional services, it should be reported as one reference transaction. Duration should not be an element in determining whether a transaction is a reference transaction. NOTE: It is essential that libraries do not include directional transactions in the report of reference transactions. Directional transactions include giving instruction for locating staff, library users, or physical features within the library. Examples of directional transactions include, “Where is the reference librarian? Where is Susan Smith? Where is the rest room? Where are the 600s? Can you help me make a photocopy?” Reference & Beyond 23

 Technology help versus reference transactions  One-to-one help; "Book a Librarian“  Outreach; “Visiting Librarian”  Other Reference & Beyond 24

 Miscellaneous Issues & Parking Lot Discussions  Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL)  Edge Initiative Edge Initiative  Plus/Delta Related Topics & Wrap-up 25

 LRS.org  Colorado Public Library Statistics and Profiles:  IMLS: Public Libraries in the United States Survey (PLS): _survey.aspx  Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL): Resources 26

Library Research Service Staff  Nicolle Steffen, MLIS, Director  Linda Hofschire, MLIS, PhD, Research Analyst  Meghan Wanucha, MLIS, Research Assistant  Dave Hodgins, MLIS, Data Coordinator and Web Developer Contacts 27