Making It Count

1. Making It Count the strongest messages, the latest facts, the best sources … and your library’s story Keith Curry Lance Consultant, RSL Research Group Tel. 303 466 1860 - Mobile 720 232 5866 E-mail keithlance@comcast.net - Website: http://www.RSLresearch.com

2. Outline • The Messages: what we know about public libraries • The Facts: data that backs it up • The Sources: Where to find it • Your Story: How to communicate it …

3. What we know about public libraries Public libraries are … • Partners for vibrant & educated communities—where learning never stops. • Indispensable for a free people; places of opportunity. • For YOU … The library is what you want it to be. • A community destination for all.

4. What we know about public libraries Public libraries are … • Partners for vibrant & educated communities—where learning never stops. Libraries … • Help children do well in school • Support lifelong learning

5. Public libraries help children do well in school • The Facts: Why participating in summer reading program makes a difference • Reading gets better when you practice it. • Without SRPs, kids lose reading gains over summer. (Especially true for disadvantaged kids.) • SRP kids more likely to read well than non-SRP kids. • SRP kids read better than those who go to camp. • SRP kids who visited library and did free reading gained more than those in a traditional language arts summer program.

6. Public libraries help children do well in school • The Sources: • Do PL Summer Reading Programs Impact Student Achievement?(Dominican’s ‘06-07 IMLS project—in progress) • Making a Splash With Summer Reading, SLJ, Jan ‘03. See: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA266700 • Study: Summer Reading Helps Students, SLJ, Feb ‘02. See: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA192969 • The Role of PLs in Children’s Literacy Development: An Evaluation Report. PA Library Association, ‘01. See: http://www.statelibrary.state.pa.us/libraries/lib/libraries/Role%20of%20Libraries.pdf • Johnson, Peter. Building Effective Programs for Summer Learning. US Dept of Education, ‘00. See: http://www.ed.gov/americareads/sum_build.doc.

7. Public libraries help children do well in school • Your Story: • Report number of programs for preschool age children—especially story times and outreach to day care centers—and attendance at such programs. • Report summer reading program statistics. Also track impact, if possible. • Quote parents about the value of these programs.

8. Public libraries support lifelong learning • The Facts: • Chicago PL’s Austin Irving branch • In partnership with Wright College, serves: • 6,500 regular credit students, AND • 6,000 adult education students • Children’s librarian visits every classroom in every school; partnerships w/school librarians promote all children’s services • 75-90 parents attend story time with kids each week

9. Public libraries support lifelong learning • The Facts: • The top 3 topics for “free choice learning” are: • Health issues, • Spiritual/personal growth, and • Current events.

10. Public libraries support lifelong learning • The Sources: • The Engaged Library: Chicago Stories of Community Building(Urban Libraries Council (ULC, ‘06),See: http://www.urbanlibraries.org/files/ULC_PFSC_Engaged_0206.pdf • Partnerships for Free Choice Learning: PLs, Museums, and Public Broadcasters (Urban Institute, ULC, ‘03) See: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/410661_partnerships_for_free_choice_learning.pdf

11. Public libraries support lifelong learning • Your Story: • Report numbers of library programs—especially those offered in collaboration with other community organizations—that encourage LL and attendance at programs. • In annual user survey or focus group interviews, ask about LL uses of library collections & services. • Quote users about library’s role in their LL.

12. What we know about public libraries Public libraries are … • Indispensable for a free people; places of opportunity. Libraries … • Open doors of opportunity for disenfranchised communities

13. Public libraries open doors of opportunity … • The Facts: • From Urban Libraries Council (Making Cities Stronger, 07): • Brooklyn Reads to Babies (early literacy campaign in 6 languages) • Providence Ready to Learn Partnership for Parents (early literacy training) • Memphis Training Wheels (mobile children’s services)

14. Public libraries open doors of opportunity … • The Facts: • From MDRC (Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, ‘01): • Strong library literacy programs help to encourage adult students to persevere to meet their goals • From Counting on Results (LRS, ‘01): • Basic literacy: 42% of these patrons became citizens. • Business/career: 36% of these patrons explored business opportunities, started or developed business.

15. Public libraries open doors of opportunity … • The Sources: • Making Cities Stronger: PL Contributionss to Economic Development (ULC, ’07) See: http://www.urbanlibraries.org/files/making_cities_stronger.pdf • "I Did It for Myself“ Studying Efforts to Increase Adult Learner Persistence in Library Literacy Programs(MDRC, ’01)See: http://www.mdrc.org/publications/106/execsum.html • Counting on Results: New Tools for Outcome-Based Evaluation of PLs (LRS, ‘99-’01) See: http://www.lrs.org/CoR.asp

16. Public libraries open doors of opportunity … Tools: • PL Geographic Database (PLGDB) See: http://www.geolib.org • LRS Community Analysis Scan Form See: http://www.lrs.org/asp_public/ca_form.asp

17. Public libraries open doors of opportunity … • Your Story: • Map recent or specific circulation data to learn who is and isn’t using your library. • Do a community analysis. (Use PLGDB & LRS community scan form.) • Publicize programs on preparing for GED exam, selecting college, starting home-based business. • Interview key user groups in your legal service area (e.g., students, adult learners, small business owners). • Design outreach efforts to reach non-users.

18. What we know about public libraries Public libraries are … • For YOU … The library is what you want it to be. Libraries ... • Will get you through times of no money … • Change people’s lives!

19. Public libraries will get you through times of no money … • The Facts • Public library usage increases when the economy slumps. • During the 2001 recession, circulation ran 8-9% above what would have normally been expected (ALA, ‘02).

20. Public libraries will get you through times of no money … • The Facts • Public libraries generate a measurable return-on-investment in terms of community development (SLPL, 1998). St Louis PL ’97 budget: $15 Million Opportunity/time costs: $90 million Consumer surplus: $47 million Willingness to pay: $15 million Teacher/caregiver benefits: $13 million Business user benefits: $ 7 million

21. Public libraries will get you through times of no money … • The Facts • Overall … public libraries return $6.54 for every $1.00 invested from all sources. • For every $6,448 spent on public libraries from public funding sources (federal, state, and local) … one job is created. • FL Taxpayer Return-on-Investment study

22. Public libraries will get you through times of no money … • The Sources: • Taxpayer Return on Investment Study of FL PLs (‘04) See: http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/roi/FinalReport.cfm • Economic Hard Times and PL Use Revisited, American Libraries,Aug ‘02, pp. 62-63. See: http://www.ala.org/ala/ors/reports/economichard.htm • Placing a Value on PL Services (St Louis PL, ‘98)See: http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/restoc.htm • For more, see the Library Research Service website’s economic impact studies page at: http://www.lrs.org/topics.asp#econ2

23. Public libraries will get you through times of no money … • Your Story: • Chart year to year trends for your community, including: • Library’s local income, collection expenditures; • Library visits, circulation, program attendance; • Labor force participation, unemployment rate. • Survey businesses that use the library about cost savings. • Ask users for success stories about how library services helped them find jobs, start businesses.

24. Public libraries change people’s lives • The Facts: • Of general library users • 74% read for pleasure. • 56% learned about a skill, hobby or other interest. • 46% found info needed for school, work or a community group. * Facts on this & following slide from Counting on Results (LRS, ‘01)

25. Public libraries change people’s lives • The Facts--continued • Of all users for libraries that studied specific service responses: • Library as place: 59% found quiet place to think, read, write or study. • Local history/genealogy: 53% made progress researching family histories. • Basic literacy: 36% read to a child or helped a child choose a book.

26. Public libraries change people’s lives • The Sources: • Perspectives on Outcome-Based Evaluation for Libraries & Museums (IMLS, undated) See: http://www.imls.gov/pubs/pdf/pubobe.pdf • Knowing What Audiences Learn: Outcomes & Program Planning (IMLS PowerPoint, ‘03) See: http://www.imls.gov/grants/current/ACM-03-fnl.pps • Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, Member Profiles (COSLA website) See: http://www.cosla.org • Counting on Results: New Tools for Outcome-Based Evaluation of PLs (LRS, ‘99-’01) See: http://www.lrs.org/CoR.asp

27. Public libraries change people’s lives • Your Story: • Conduct an outcome-based evaluation of a specific program at your library. • Conduct an annual user survey to give patrons the opportunity to identify how they have benefited from your library’s services.

28. What we know about public libraries Public libraries are … • A community destination for all. Libraries … • Are gateways to the World Wide Web • Bridge the Digital Divide

29. The Facts: From Info Institute (‘06): 99% provide Internet access. 83% provide access to licensed databases. 55% offer digital or virtual reference services. 41% offer technology training. 37% offer wireless access. From Gates (‘03): New computers increase user visits, bring many new visitors to libraries. Includes home-schoolers, travelers, and others who depend on library computers. 75% of patrons "ask a librarian" when they need help with library computers. Public libraries are gateways to the World Wide Web

30. Public libraries are gateways to the World Wide Web • The Sources: • FSU’s Information Institute (especially PL & Internet project) at http://www.ii.fsu.edu • The Gates Legacy: What's changed and what's next as librarians work to sustain public access to computers, LJ, ‘03 See: http://www.libraryjournal.com (search terms: gates legacy) • Gates Foundation’s U.S. Libraries Evaluation Reports at: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/USLibraryProgram/Evaluation/USLibrariesFullReports.htm • OCLC Programs & Research publications and presentations at: http://www.oclc.org/research/

31. Public libraries are gateways to the World Wide Web • Your Story: • Report website usage statistics for library catalog, licensed databases, virtual reference, homework help, etc. • Publicize profiles of patrons who use online services and how they make a difference. • Publicize stories of librarians helping patrons with technology.

32. Public libraries bridge the Digital Divide • The Facts: • Virtually all library outlets offer public access computers, and more than 14 million regularly use them. Poor & minority patrons are more likely than others to rely on access (Gates, ‘04). • Libraries in poorer areas, especially rural ones, lag behind more prosperous cities and suburbs; but, E-rate is closing gap (Info Institute, ‘02).

33. Public libraries bridge the Digital Divide • The Sources: • Toward Equality of Access: The Role of Public Libraries in Addressing the Digital Divide (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ‘04) See: http://www.imls.gov/pubs/pdf/Equality.pdf • Public Library Internet Services: Impacts on the Digital Divide (Info Institute, FSU, 2002) See: http://www.ii.fsu.edu/getProjectDetail.cfm?pageID=9&ProjectID=7

34. Public libraries bridge the Digital Divide • Your Story: • Report availability of library computers (especially for poor, low education, minorities, older adults). • Report how patrons benefit from more or better access, thanks to E-rate. • Survey or interview library users to determine: • extent of their reliance on library access to Internet, • computer user demographics, and • reasons for Internet use (e.g., educational, economic, recreational).

35. What we know about public libraries One more time … Public libraries are … • Partners for vibrant & educated communities—where learning never stops. • Indispensable for a free people; places of opportunity. • For YOU … The library is what you want it to be. • A community destination for all.

36. Where to turn for help … • State Data Coordinators (state library agencies) • State Data Centers • Nearest library school • Centers for library research • ALA Office for Research & Statistics • Institute of Museum & Library Services • Links to all of the above (and more) at http://www.LRS.org

37. Contact Information • Keith Curry Lance • Consultant, RSL Research Group • Tel. 303 466 1860 - Mobile 720 232 5866 • keithlance@comcast.net or • klance@RSLresearch.com • http://www.linkedin.com/in/keithcurrylance • http://www.RSLresearch.com