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Dear Colleague,
I am pleased to share the first installment of Community Connections, an ongoingLJ Information Services research initiative that examines the changing role of public libraries and the needs of the communities they serve.
Our goal is to give libraries—of all sizes and in all locations—direct visibility into the makeup of their communities and the challenges they face. The research and data analysis will yield insight to further strengthen library service, as well as enabling compelling casemaking to funders, voters, and new users, by illustrating the many ways libraries transform the people who use them, and the places they serve.
The first report, Inside the Library Story: What Data Reveals About Public Libraries and their Communities, examines the library from the community’s perspective. Part one focuses on the essential cornerstones of library service: physical and digital access. Click here to read what data reveals about how well we’re delivering the foundations of library service across the U.S., which places needs more support, and which are leading the way.
The second report will take a deep dive into the hot topic of electronic resources, while the third reexamines population served through the lens of sophisticated market segmentation. Check back next month for more key benchmarks and data-driven insights.
Taken together, these reports provide a useful roadmap for the leaders of public libraries to make even better decisions about how to use resources effectively. And we’re just getting started. Look for a deeper dive powered by EveryLibrary Institute’s data scientists coming this fall.
Best regards,
David S. Greenough
General Manager & Group Publisher