Showcasing Libraries' Worth, According to America's Star Libraries
RSSCustomer satisfaction, activity levels, online services should be counted
Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 12/10/2009
Customer satisfaction data is the most important factor librarians wish were included in star libraries rankings to showcase how their libraries are performing, according to 57 percent of respondents to a survey of America’s star libraries.
The survey was sent by Library Journal to the top 258 libraries given stars by the LJ Index of Public Library Service 2009, Round 2. The star libraries were asked to identify what they wished could be counted to illustrate their worth, beyond the basic four per capita measures utilized by the LJ Index (visits, circulation, program attendance, public Internet use). LJ garnered responses from 116 star libraries.
Libraries’ strong and varied role in providing access to online services was apparent in the next most popular responses. "Visits to the library’s web site" and "usage of wifi access by library visitors" vied for second place, at 41 and 40 percent, respectively.
Among the other top responses were "activity levels of library card holders/registrants" (32 percent) and "percentage of library’s open hours that public computers are in use" (28 percent). Eleven percent of respondents said they would value "length of individual visits to library’s web site."
Twenty percent chose "other," writing in choices. Among them were outcome-based responses, such as "community outcomes (balanced scorecard, etc.)" and "Kinder-readiness, graduation rates, reading scores." Multiple responses addressed "program attendance/number of programs offered," "square feet per capita and public meeting room use," and "visits or circ per card holder."
Full coverage of the latest results of the LJ Index of Public Library Service 2009, Round 2, based on 2007 IMLS data, can be found here.
