Data on Trends in Public Library Services
A. Introduction
This section examines the proportion of public libraries that currently provide services in 2007, level of use, and trend in use. Level of use is categorized as extensive, often, or rare[1]. Trend use is categorized into three levels: less, same and more[2] . The proportions of services hold only if provided in 2007 and five years ago.
The services are grouped into Access to Library Collections (Table 9.1); Access to External Collections (Table 9.2); Reference and Research Services (Table 9.3); Formal User Training (Table 9.4); and Access to Resources (Table 9.5). Circulation, reference and research requests, internet access through in-library computers, and remote access to library collections and services are categorized by ranges of in-person visits as a proxy measure of size of the public libraries.
B. Access to library collections
There are ten types of access to library collections services ranging from circulation to patron access to specific collections such as current periodicals, print backfiles, and electronic collections.
Table 9.1 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Provide Service, Level of Use, and Trend in Level Compared to Five Years Ago: 2007 (n=431) ACCESS TO LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
Nearly all public libraries provide circulation services (99.8%) which are extensively used in most libraries (87.5%). The trend in 2007 compared to five years ago is particularly high: 12.6 percent of libraries report less use, 15.8 percent about the same, and 71.5 percent more use. NCES reports 2.06 billion circulation in 2005, up from 1.71 billion in 2000 (i.e., a 20.5% increase in use over that period). Considering population increase, the circulation increase is 12.5 percent (i.e., 7.2 circulation per capita in 2005, up from 6.4 circulation in 2000). Therefore, there is abundant evidence that circulation has exceptional growth, perhaps due to users ordering materials through remote access (that they might not otherwise come to the library to obtain) and then coming to libraries to pick them up (see Section VIII).
Most public libraries provide print current periodicals and backfiles as well as audio-visual collections. The print backfiles and audio-visual collections are extensively used, but current periodicals much less so and the trends reflect these differences. Roughly half of public libraries provide electronic book, journal and report collections and they are often used (in about 50%of libraries). The trend in use of electronic books is down somewhat (i.e., 53.9% of libraries having less use).
C. Access to external library collections
Table 9.2 gives results of public library access to ten external collections including both print and electronic formats.
Table 9.2 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Provide Service, Level of Use, and Trend in Level Compared to Five Years Ago: 2007 (n=431) ACCESS TO EXTERNAL COLLECTIONS
Most public libraries borrow from print external collections and lend to other libraries (perhaps better categorized as access to the library’s collection). Both are well used (about 50% often and over one-third extensively) and trends are substantially up. Interlibrary lending and borrowing of electronic materials is done by fewer libraries (about 30% of libraries) and somewhat less often, but with trends about equivalent to the print counter-part. Access to external print collections through document services is done much less frequently than interlibrary lending or borrowing (46.4% of libraries), is less used and has a much lower trend, although still positive. Access through electronic document delivery follows a similar pattern observed for electronic lending and borrowing.
NCES reports a substantial difference in interlibrary lending and borrowing from 2000 to 2005 using comparable definitions. Interlibrary loans increased from 16.47 to 36.05 million (i.e., a 119% increase) and a similar increase in loans per 1,000 population from 61.9 to 125.8 loans per 1000 population (i.e., 103% increase). As might be expected, if interlibrary lending is largely among public libraries, interlibrary borrowing pattern was almost the same: 16.26 million items borrowed in 2000 vs. 36.04 million in 2005 (i.e., a 21.6% increase) and per 1,000 population from 61.1 to 125.8 items borrowed per 1,000 population (i.e., 106% increase).
Use of external electronic collections often requires establishing negotiated licenses. Nearly half of public libraries provide access to licensed content and the content is used extensively by 13.6 percent of libraries and often by 66.4 percent of them. Trend is substantially up (64.5% of libraries indicate more). About 41 percent of public libraries provide access to external electronic journal collections which are used extensively by 10.6 percent of libraries and often by 51.6 percent of libraries with trend up (60.3% trend more up). External electronic book collections are available in 46.2 percent of libraries, but not used a great deal (e.g., 57.6% of libraries have rare use) and the trend is up moderately (25% more and 13.0% less). Access to other external electronic collections (i.e., government document, images, etc.) is provided by 37.5 percent of libraries with use about the same as electronic books and trend fairly high (53.4% more).
D. Reference and research services
Most public libraries provide general reference and research services, database search by staff, and access to reference tools (Table 9.3).
Table 9.3 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Provide Service, Level of Use, and Trend in Level Compared to Five Years Ago: 2007 (n=431) REFERENCE AND RESEARCH SERVICES
All the reference services are well used except foreign language assistance (i.e., over 50% are used often and from 16.5% and 28.9% used extensively). The trend in use is highest for remote access to online catalog and in-library and database search by staff (i.e., 88.6%, 66.2% and 55.9% libraries have more use respectively), general reference and research trend overall is about the same (i.e., 28.1% less, 38.0% the same, and 34.0% more), but access to reference tools is down some (i.e., 30.9% less, 43.6% the same, and 25.4% more). NCES reports 302.51 million reference transactions in 2005, up from 291.48 in 2000 (a 3.8% increase). The per capita amount remained the same at 1.1 transactions per capita over this period.
Catalog-related services include access to online catalog in the library and remotely and by type of collection in the catalog (Table 9.2). More libraries provide in-library online access to the catalog (90.7% of libraries) than remote access (80.7%) and use is also greater for access in the library (e.g., 68.0% vs. 54.1% used extensively), but the trend in use is higher for the remote access (e.g., 86.6% vs. 66.2% of libraries have more use respectively); again perhaps resulting in higher circulation.
Some library catalogs include print or electronic journal, electronic books or digital images. More libraries include catalogs of print vs. electronic journals (i.e., 55.3% vs. 20.2% of libraries) and extent of use is about the same. However, the trend is far greater for use of the electronic journal catalog (e.g., 48.1% of libraries have more use) and use of the print journal catalog is about the same over all (i.e., 28.2% less, 44.4% the same and 27.3% of libraries more). Nearly 40 percent of libraries include catalogs of electronic books even though 48 percent have them in their collection. Nearly half of these libraries have rare use of the electronic book catalog, but use is up some from five years ago (i.e., 4.8% less, 61.9% the same, and 33.3% more). Digital images catalogs are included in 21.9 percent of public libraries. Use is about the same as electronic journal catalogs and trending substantially higher. About one-third of public libraries provide foreign language assistance, but use in the libraries is low (54.5% have rare use), and the trend is up (i.e., 45.6% of libraries have more use with only 8.8% less).
E. Formal user training services
Many public libraries provide technology, bibliographic and electronic publication instruction (Table 9.4).
Table 9.4 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Provide Service, Level of Use, and Trend in Level Compared to Five Years Ago: 2007 (n=431) FORMAL USER TRAINING
Technology instruction is provided in 61.7 percent of public libraries and is used extensively in 13.4 percent of them and often in 62.9 percent of others. Trend is up more in 50.4 percent of the libraries. Traditional bibliographic instruction is given in 46.6 percent of libraries, but rarely used in 46.9 percent of them. Trend up is moderate with 17.1 percent of libraries reporting less use, 55.0 percent the same, and 27.9 percent more. Instruction concerning electronic publication is provided by 43.0 percent of libraries with moderate use, although trending up (48.0% having more use).
F. Services providing access to public library resources
Public library resources include user workstations, services for the visually and hearing impaired, wireless network and foreign language materials (Table 9.5)
Table 9.5 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Provide Service, Level of Use, and Trend in Level Compared to Five Years Ago: 2007 (n=431) ACCESS TO RESOURCES
Nearly all public libraries reported having user workstations (96.1% of libraries) and they are extensively used in most of them (84.4%). Most of the public libraries report they are used more (87.9% used more with only 1.8% used less). NCES reports a substantial increase in the number of public use internet terminals in public libraries: 99.5 thousand in 2000 and 185.2 thousand in 2005, an 86.1 percent increase. This increase represents an increase of 93.1 percent in number of terminals per 5,000 population (i.e., 5.8 in 2000 to 11.2 terminals per 5,000 population in 2005). Therefore, the substantial increase in use of user workstations/public use terminals is partially attributed to an increase in number of terminals available.
The visually or hearing impaired users are supported by technology and materials made available by public libraries. Technology for the visually or hearing impaired is found in nearly half the libraries but rarely used because of the lack of eligible users, however the amount of use has increased some. About 80.4 percent of libraries have visually impaired materials and these materials are used extensively in 11.5 percent of these libraries and often in half of them. The trend in use is up (38.1% more in the libraries). Materials for the hearing impaired is found in 42.9 percent of the libraries, but used less than visually impaired materials and trend is less as well.
Wireless network is found in about two-thirds of the libraries and currently well used (i.e., 35.5% extensively and 54.4% often). The trend is up substantially (70.6% of the libraries are using it more). About three-fourths of the libraries provide foreign language materials; in about half the libraries the materials are rarely used, but increasingly so (42.1% of the libraries report more use).
G. Public library services by ranges of in-person visits
Circulation, reference and research, and internet access services are examined by range in number of visits. Circulation increases dramatically with number of in-person visits (Table 9.6), although the number of items circulated per visit is highest for libraries that have fewer than 10,000 visits.
Table 9.6 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Annual Circulation per Library, Average per In-person Visit and Trend Compared to Five Years Ago by Range of In-person Visits: 2007
The trend in circulation is about the same (with about 70% libraries with more circulation) for libraries having fewer than 250,000 visits, but up some for the larger libraries (84% having more circulation).
Number of reference and research requests also increases substantially with number of in-person visits, but the number per visit is greatest for the libraries with fewer than 10,000 visits. The trend in use is roughly the same across ranges of visits (Table 9.7).
Table 9.7 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Annual Reference and Research Requests per Library, Average per In-person Visit and Trend Compared to Five Years Ago by Range of In-person Visits: 2007
Table 9.8 gives the proportion (%) of libraries with different ranges of in-person visits that provide internet access to library collections and/or services through workstations in the library or remotely. Most libraries provide in-library access to the internet regardless of their number of in-person visits, but a slightly higher proportion of them as in-person visits increase. On the other hand, only 47.1 percent of libraries with less than 10,000 visits provide remote access. The proportion of libraries increase with in-person visits up to 100 percent for those having over 250,000 in-person visits. This seems to corroborate evidence that remote access may result in an increase in circulation and, perhaps, reference and research requests.
Table 9.8 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries That Currently Provide Internet Access to Patrons/Users through Computers in the Library and/or Provide Remote Access to Library Collections and/or Services via the Internet by Range of In-person Visits: 2007
Trends in Functions Performed By In-library Staff
A. Introduction
Public libraries often out-source functions to cooperatives, consortia, vendors, and contractors and some libraries rely on their parent organization to perform administrative activities. This is often done because of economies of scale achieved by other organizations or due to availability of special competencies. The public Library Survey dedicated one part to establishing the proportion of libraries performing functions in their library, the proportion of the functions currently performed by in-library staff, and the trends in the proportions compared to five years ago. The functions are grouped by Operations/Technical Services, User Services, Support Functions and activities performed by non-library staff of the parent city, county or library system. Results also show the extent to which public libraries use consortia, networks, and contractors and vendors.
The public libraries reported if they currently perform a function in their library and, if so, what proportion of the function is performed by in-library staff. Tables categorize the proportion of functions performed by in-library staff by 0, 1 to 49%, 50 to 99%, and 100%. The five-year trend of the proportion is given as less, the same, or more. Tables are given in the text for each function examined.
B. Operations/technical services functions
Fifteen operations/technical services functions are described in Table 10.1.
Table 10.1 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Perform Functions and Proportion of the Functions Performed by In-Library Staff, and Trend in Proportion Performed by In-Library Staff Compared to Five Years Ago: 2007 (n=316) OPERATIONS/TECHNICAL SERVICES
Most libraries (over 85%) currently deal in-house with print materials by collection development, cataloging, and physical processing, as well as, audio visual materials and special collections. Of the libraries that provide access to electronic collections, many (19 to 64%) do not perform the functions in the library. On the other hand many of the libraries (over 75%) perform 100 percent of the functions by in-library staff. The trend in proportion performed by in-library staff has remained the same in most libraries (79.4% to 96.1% of the public libraries). Clearly the policy of outsourcing operations/technical services functions is well established and stable. Some minor exceptions are that 12.8 percent of libraries report they catalog print books less in-library and 16.8 percent say that physical processing is done less by in-library staff.
Tables 10.2 through 10.5 examine functions performed in-library by ranges of in-person visits as a proxy for size: less than 10,000; 10,000 to 49,000; 50,000 to 249, 000; and 250,000 or more. The larger the library (i.e., more visits) a higher proportion of the libraries currently performed activities associated with electronic materials (e.g., collection development and cataloging electronic books and journals). The proportion of functions performed by in-house staff tends to be less for all functions involving electronic materials.
Table 10.2 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Perform Functions and Proportion of the Functions Performed by In-Library Staff, by Range of Visits: 2007 (n=316) OPERATIONS/TECHNICAL SERVICES
Table 10.3 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Perform Functions and Proportion of the Functions Performed by In-Library Staff, and Trend in Proportion Performed by In-Library Staff Compared to Five Years Ago by Range of Visits: 2007
OPERATIONS/TECHNICAL SERVICES
Table 10.4 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Perform Functions and Proportion of the Functions Performed by In-Library Staff, and Trend in Proportion Performed by In-Library Staff Compared to Five Years Ago by Range of Visits: 2007 OPERATIONS/TECHNICAL SERVICES
Table 10.5 PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Proportion (%) of Libraries that Currently Perform Functions and Proportion of the Functions Performed by In-Library Staff, and Trend in Proportion Performed by In-Library Staff Compared to Five Years Ago by Range of Visits: 2007 OPERATIONS/TECHNICAL SERVICES
Griffiths and King, A Strong Future for Public Library Use and Employment (ALA 2011)
[1]. Extensive was worded “core, extensively used” on the questionnaire; often was worded “core, often used and secondary provision and used”; and rare worded “core, rarely used and secondary provision and rarely used.”
[2]. Less sums “Much less now”; same is worded “about the same now” and more being “somewhat more now and much more now.”