NCLIS

United States National Commission

on Libraries and Information Science

1110 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 820

Washington, DC 20005–3552

Telephone: 202–606–9200

Fax: 202–606–9203

E–Mail: info@nclis.gov

Center Data

School Library Media

Public Library Data

Academic Library Data

 State LiAcademic Library brary Agency Data Data

Center Data

School Library Media

Public Library Data

 State LiCenter Data School Library Media Public Library Data Academic Library Data brary Agency Data State LiCenter Data School Library Media Public Library Data Academic Library Data brary Agency Data State LiAcademic Library Data brary Agency Data

Academic Library Data Public Library Data School Library

Media Center Data State Library Agency Data Academic

 Library Data Public Library Data School Library Media

Center Data State Library Agency Data Academic Library

Data Public Library Data School Library Media Center Data

State Library Agency Data Academic Library Data

Prepared for the

National Center for Education Statistics

by the

U.S. National Commission on

Libraries and Information Science

2002–2003

LIBRARY

STATISTICS

COOPERATIVE

PROGRAM
 LIBRARY STATISTICS COOPERATIVE PROGRAM

The Library Statistics Cooperative Program depends on collaboration with all

types of libraries and all levels of government. The following organizations

have a key role in its success.

NCES Role: The mandate of the National Center for Education Statistics

(NCES) to collect library statistics is included in the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-382). The Library Statistics Cooperative

Program is administered and funded by the NCES, which regularly collects

and disseminates statistical information on libraries under four surveys. These

surveys include the Public Libraries Survey, the Academic Libraries Survey,

the School Library Media Centers Survey, and the State Library Agencies

Survey. The National Center for Education Statistics also sponsors data

analysis projects, meetings, training workshops, and training and technical

assistance grants. Library data and analyses are used by federal, state, and

local officials, professional associations, and local practitioners, and researchers for policy, planning, evaluation, research, and drawing samples for special surveys.

NCLIS Role: The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information

Science (NCLIS) works cooperatively with NCES in implementing the Library

Statistics Cooperative Program. NCLIS serves as a liaison to the library

community, organizes meetings and training workshops, organizes training

and technical assistance, monitors trends, and advises NCES on policy matters.

Bureau of the Census Role: The Bureau of the Census works cooperatively with NCES in implementing the Library Statistics Cooperative Program.

The Bureau of the Census plays a key role in data collection, and processing.

Partners in Cooperation:

Federal–State Cooperative System (FSCS)

Data Use Task Force, FSCS State Data Coordinators, FSCS Steering

Committee

Library Representatives, Academic Libraries Survey

Local public, school, and academic library data providers

How to Access Data

Under its four library surveys, NCES regularly publishes E.D. TABS which

consist of tables, usually presenting state and national totals, a survey description, and data highlights. NCES also publishes separate, more in–depth

studies analyzing these data. Many of these publications are available over

the Internet. Edited raw data from the library surveys are also made available

over the Internet at http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/search.asp.

 NCES Library Statistics Program Website

The NCES Library Statistics Program website is at

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries. Each library survey and supporting

materials are located at this website.

Ordering Publications and Data Sets

To order more recent publications, write to: U.S. Department of Education, ED

Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794–1398 or call toll–free 1–877–4–ED–

Pubs; fax 1–301–470–1244; TTY/TDD 1–877–576–7734.

For Help Obtaining Reports, Data Files,

Special Tabulations, and Help with Internet

An information service called the National Education Data Resource Center

(NEDRC) is available to assist library survey customers. The NEDRC helps

customers obtain NCES reports and data files through the Internet. The

NEDRC also responds to requests for special tabulations on library studies

and surveys. These services are free of charge. Contact the NEDRC at 1900

N. Beauregard St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22311–1722, telephone 703–845–

3151, fax 703–820–7465, or email: nedrc@pcci.com.
ACADEMIC LIBRARIES SURVEY

Frequency of data

collection:

Biennial

Year survey began: 1966

Number of academic

libraries reporting:

About 3,700

Type of data collected: Total operating expenditures; full–time equivalent library staff;

service outlets; total volumes held at the end of the academic

year; circulation; interlibrary loans; public service hours; gate

count; reference transactions per typical week; on–line services; consortia participation. Academic libraries are also

asked whether they offered the following electronic services:

an electronic catalog that includes the library’s holdings; electronic full–text periodicals; Internet access; library reference

services by e–mail; electronic document delivery to patron’s

How Collected: The Academic Libraries Survey (ALS) is a web–based data

collection. The Academic Libraries Survey has established a

technical working group composed of representatives of the

academic library community. A network of academic library

professionals works closely with state coordinators (representatives from each state who work with NCES to coordinate

the collection of data from academic libraries in postsecondary

institutions in each of their states).

Website and Reports: E.D. TABS (biennial)

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/academic.asp

The Status of Academic Libraries in the United States: Results

from the 1994 Academic Library Survey with Historical

Comparisons.

Coverage Evaluation of the Academic Library Survey. [NCES

1999330]; http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/

pubsinfo.asp?pubid=1999330

The Status of Academic Libraries in the United States:

Results from the 1996 Academic Library Survey with Historical Comparisons [NCES 2001301]; http://nces.ed.gov/

pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001301

File available? Yes, survey–universe file

Website data access

tools (in progress)

Academic libraries peer comparison tool (2000)

NCES staff: Jeffrey Williams: 202-502-7476; jeffrey.williams@ed.gov

Other Cooperating Organizations:

The following organizations perform a variety of activities that contribute to

the development of the Library Statistics Cooperative Program:

American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

American Library Association (ALA)

Advisory Committee on Academic Library Statistics; Office of Research

and Statistics

Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)

Association of Research Libraries (ARL)

Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA)

Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Office of Library

 Services (OLS)

Coordinators, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

National Education Data Resource Center (NEDRC)

Public Library Association (PLA)

U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and

Improvement (OERI), The National Institute on Postsecondary

Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning (PLLI); The National

Library of Education

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS

The NCES Library Statistics Cooperative Program collects statistics about all

types of libraries. These statistics are available to answer your questions. For

example:

ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

How many volumes are in the collections of academic libraries?

How many items per year do academic libraries circulate?

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

What are the total annual operating incomes of public libraries?

How many branches, bookmobiles, and other public library service outlets are

operated by public libraries?

How many books and other items do public libraries circulate in a year?

What is the nationwide attendance at children’s programs?

How many people visit public libraries annually in–person and “virtually”?

SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS

How many school library media specialists are on elementary and secondary

school staffs?

How do expenditures for school library media center services relate to total

school expenditures?

STATE LIBRARY AGENCIES

Under what branches of state government do state library agencies operate?

What services do state library agencies provide?
Frequency of data

collection:

Annual

Year survey 1988

Number of public

libraries reportOver 9,000 nationwide and some US territories

Type of data

collected – public

libraries:

Identifying information including web address; staffing; type and

number of service outlets; operating income and expenditures; size

of collection; administrative structure; geographic area served; and

service measures, such as library visits, reference transactions, interlibrary loans, circulation, public service hours per year, circulation of

children’s materials, and children’s program attendance; interlibrary

relationship; legal basis; population of legal service area; Internet

access: number of Internet PCs used by staff only; number of Internet

PCs used by general public; access to electronic services; number of

and expenditures for electronic library materials; operating expendiType of data

collected – public

library service

outlets:

Identifying information, location of outlet relative to a metropolitan area, and building square footage.

How collected: Electronically via the Federal–State Cooperative System (FSCS) for

Public Library Data. The Federal–State Cooperative System is administered by NCES in cooperation with NCLIS. At the state level

and in the outlying areas, FSCS is administered by data coordinators,

appointed by each state or outlying area’s chief officer of the state

library agency. The Federal–State Cooperative System is a working

network. For example, some data collection is being done via the

Internet. An annual training conference is provided for the state

data coordinators, and a steering committee that represents them

and other interested organizations is active in the development of

Website, Reports,

and Data Access

Tools

E.D. TABS (annual)

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/public.asp

How does your library compare (1998)

Public library inflation index (1999)

Use of public library services by households in the United States:

1996

Public Library Trend Analysis Fiscal Years 1992–1996

[NCES 2001324]

Programming for adults in public library outlets (in review,

2002)Public library peer comparison; Library locator for

public libraries; and Geographic mapping of public libraries

File available? Yes, survey universe file

NCES staff: Adrienne Chute: 202-502-7328; adrienne.chute@ed.gov

Elaine Kroe: 202-502-7379; patricia.kroe@ed.gov

About the NCES Library Statistics Program Surveys:

PUBLIC LIBRARIES SURVEY STATE LIBRARY AGENCIES SURVEY

SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS SURVEY

Frequency of data

collection:

Annual

Year survey began: 1994

Number of state

library agencies

50 states and the District of Columbia

Type of data

collected:

Direct library services; library development services; resources assigned to allied operations such as archive and records management; organizational and governance structure within which the

agency operates; electronic services; staffing; collections; income

How collected: Web–based data collection from each of the state library agencies.

These are the units of state government designated by law as the

state agency responsible for statewide library development and

administering federal funds under the Library Services and TechWebsite and

Reports:

E.D. TABS (annual)

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/sla.asp

File available? Yes, survey–universe file

NCES staff Elaine Kroe: 202-502-7379; patricia.kroe@ed.gov

Frequency of data

collection:

Every four years; next survey planned for planned for school year

2003–2004

Year survey began: 1991

Number of school

library media

centers reporting:

A sample of 9,000 public schools, 3,500 private schools, and 160

Bureau of Indian Affairs schools.

Type of data Expenditures; staffing; collections, technology ; and .services

How collected: In school year 1999-2000, NCES, with the assistance of the U.S.

Bureau of the Census, conducted this survey as part of the 1999–

2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS).

Website and

Reports:

Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999–2000: Overview of the Data for

Public, Private, Public Charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs

Elementary and Secondary Schools; released May 31, 2002 [NCES

2002313]

File available? Yes, survey file on a sample of schools (1998). User’s must be

licensed with NCES because of confidentiality concerns.

NCES staff: Jeffrey Williams: 202-502–7476; jeffrey.williams@ed.gov