I have been pulling together all of my posts on studies and reports on the value of public libraries. Hope you find it useful! There are many useful talking points and proofs in this research.
We look forward to the value studies report from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto that is in process right now for Toronto Public Library that is expected to be released in late 2013.
The Value of Public Libraries
Selected (mostly free) Web References:
CULC Analysis of Canadian Public Library Trends
In 2011 the Canadian Urban Libraries Council commissioned a study of library trends over the last decade. An Analysis of Public Library Trends is useful document for Canadian public library advocates, leaders and planners.
Video: LibValue: Comprehensive Approaches to Defining Library Value
Tactic: Highlighting the Value of Library Use
Texas Public Libraries Return on Investment Study Available
https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/librarydevelopments/?p=13917
https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/sites/default/files/public/tslac/pubs/ROI_Final.pdf (223 page PDF)
The Value of Our Libraries: Impact, Recognition and Influencing Funders by Stephen Abram,
http://stephenslighthouse.com/files/ArkansasLA_Value.pdf
Upping Our Game: Unlocking Real Value in Libraries (Information Today) by Stephen Abram
http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/jun13/Abram–Upping-Our-Game–Unlocking-Real-Value-in-Libraries.shtml
A Snapshot of Priorities & Perspectives: US Public Libraries – OCLC
PPT: Communicating Your Library’s Value: http://www.slideshare.net/crr29061/communicating-your-librarys-value
Dividends: The Value of Public Librariess in Canada http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/dividend/contents.htm
OCLC Community Advocacy and Awareness Site http://www.oclc.org/advocacy/default.htm
Libraries: How They Stack Up 2003 (OCLC) http://www5.oclc.org/downloads/community/librariesstackup.pdf
How Libraries Stack Up: 2010 (OCLC) http://www.oclc.org/reports/stackup/default.htm
The Public Library: A National Survey http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=801
Placing a Value on Public Library Services http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/resresul.htm
Public Library Benefits Valuation Study Methodology and Key Findings http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/valuationg.htm
The Role of Public Libraries in Local Economic Development http://www.ku.edu/pri/resrep/pdf/m260.pdf
Enhancing Economic Development through Libraries
http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/Rural/documents/ReadMoreAboutIt.pdf
National Arts and Economic Prosperity Impact Study: Executive Summary Arts and Economic Prosperity
http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/research/services/004.asp
Library and Information Center Management, Seventh Edition http://lu.com/management/weblinks.cfm
Making Book: Gambling on the future of our libraries (Kansas City) http://www.haplr-index.com/Making%20Book%20KCConsensus%20Library%20report-execsum.pdf
South Carolina Public Library Impact Study http://www.libsci.sc.edu/SCEIS/home.htm
Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/roi/publications.cfm
St. Louis Public Library: Placing a Value on Public Library Services http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/rescbec.htm
Impacts of the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Sector http://www.pano.org/economic%20impact%20study.pdf
British Library: Measuring Our Value http://www.bl.uk/cgi-bin/press.cgi?story=1399 http://www.bl.uk/pdf/measuring.pdf
The Value of Public Libraries (IFLA) http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/papers/119e-Aabo.pdf
One Dollar In, More than Three Out!: New Study Asserts the Economic Value of the San Francisco Public Library System http://www.friendsandfoundation.org/press_release.cfm?id=41
The Condition of Libraries: 1999-2010 (ALA) http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/january2010/outlook_ors.cfm The full report is available at http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/Condition_of_Libraries_1999.20.pdf. Individual reports by type of library are available at http://www.ala.org/ala/research/index.cfm
Economic Value of Public Libraries in the UK http://www.librijournal.org/pdf/2002-2pp78-87.pdf
Snapshot of Priorities & Perspectives – US Public Libraries (OCLC)
Southern Ontario Library Service – Environmental Scan for Ontario Public Libraries
LJ’s “Who Uses Libraries and Why” (US)
TD National Reading Summit: Key-note speech by Craig Alexander, Canada’s Literary Challenge
Expanding the eBook Market 2011: CULC/CBUC White Paper on eBooks in Canadian Public Libraries
Public Lending Right Commission Report on eBooks 2011
Dividends “Environmental” Study – original work and CAPL’s newer version
Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2009-2010
British Library’s impact on the UK economy
British Library: Measuring Our Value
The Condition of US Libraries: Trends, 1999-2009 (ALA). The full report is available here, press release here, and individual reports by type of library are available here.
Dividends: The Value of Public Libraries in Canada
Economic Value of Public Libraries in the UK
Enhancing Economic Development through Libraries
How Libraries Stack Up: 2010 (OCLC)
Libraries: How The Stack Up 2003 (OCLC)
Impacts of the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Sector
Library and Information Center Management, Seventh Edition
Making Book: Gambling on the Future of our Libraries (Kansas City)
Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development. (ULC).
The Annie E Casey Foundation MAKING CONNECTIONS. Making Connections is the Foundation’s long-term, multi-site effort to demonstrate that results for children and families in tough neighborhoods can be changed for the better. Public Libraries figure in this work.
National Arts and Economic Prosperity Impact Study: Executive Summary Arts and Economic Prosperity
OCLC Community Advocacy and Awareness Site
Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries
Placing a Value on Public Library Services
The Public Library: A National Survey
Public Library Benefits Valuation Study Methodology and Key Findings
Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study (ALA)
The Role of Public Libraries in Local Economic Development
The Seattle Public Library Central Library: Economic Benefits Assessment
Social Inclusion Audit and Toolkit. (CULC/CBUC)
South Carolina Public Library Impact Study
St. Louis Public Library: Placing a Value on Public Library Services
Report from the “Libraries and Museums in an Era of Participatory Culture” (October 2011)
The Condition of US Libraries: Trends, 1999–2009 (ALA)
State of US Public Libraries 2009 (ALA)
Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries
Third Generation Public Libraries: The Newman Report
US IMPACT Public Library Study
The Value of Public Libraries (IFLA)
A few costed studies from Walt Crawford:
Give Us a Dollar and We’ll Give You Back Four (2012-13) by Walt Crawford Paperback: $19.99
$4 to $1: Public Library Benefits and Budgets by Walt Crawford eBook (PDF) $19.96
The Compleat Give Us a Dollar vol. 1: Libraries by Size by Walt Crawford eBook (PDF): $9.99
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/waltcrawford
EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY
The Future of Literacy in Canada’s Largest Cities
Ontario Early Literacy Report by Charles Pascal
LIBRARY VALUE CALCULATOR(S) – Samples
Other types of libraries have interesting value studies too so here’s some of the older links:
Here are the links to the value and impact of libraries postings that I wrote this week all in one place. Please feel free to share:
The Value of Public Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/
The Value of School Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/
The Value of Academic and College Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-college-libraries/
Library Investment Index Summarizes Relative Size of ARL University Libraries for 2011–12
ACRL: Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report
THE VALUE OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
A Comprehensive Research Review and Report Prepared by Dr. Megan Oakleaf, Syracuse University for the Association of College and Research Libraries
The Value of the Research Library
Working Together: Evolving Value for Academic Libraries: http://libraryvalue.wordpress.com/report/
The final report has now been published. Download the report for free
This page contains select articles and blog posts discussing the Value of Academic Libraries report. Visit the ACRL Delicious site for additional coverage and mentions of the Value of Academic Libraries project.
Media Coverage
Michael Kelley. “A New Framework May Help Academic Libraries Demonstrate Their Value.” Library Journal Online. November 2, 2011.
Andy Havens and Tim Storey. “How Valuable Can Libraries Become?” Next Space: The OCLC Newsletter. December 2010.
Jennifer Howard. “A Toolkit to Help Academic Libraries Demonstrate Their Value.” Chronicle of Higher Education. September 14, 2010.
Steven Kolowich. “The Value of Libraries.” Inside Higher Ed. September 14, 2010.
Daniel Fusch. “Academic Libraries: Defining (and Communicating) Your Value.” Academic Impressions. September 16, 2010.
Josh Hadro. “ACRL Report Offers Guidance for Measuring Value of Academic Libraries.” Library Journal Online. September 14, 2010.
Official Press Release/ American Libraries Direct
Blog Posts Etc.
Lluís Anglada. “Coste y valor en tiempo de crisis.” Bdig (biblioteques digitals i cooperació). February 21, 2011. {Spanish language}
Steven Bell. “After the Value Study.” ACRLog. February 15, 2011.
David Shulenburger. “The Relationship Between University Assessment and Library Assessment.” Library Assessment Conference, Baltimore. December 2010.
Ángel Borrego. “¿Qué aporta la biblioteca a la universidad?” blok de bid. November 16, 2010. {Spanish language}
Stephen Abram. “The Value of Academic Libraries Redux.” Stephen’s Lighthouse. November 1, 2010.
Carl Grant. “‘The Value of Academic Libraries’ and the Incomplete Chapter.” Commentary from Carl Grant. October 21, 2010.
“October Meeting Recap.” LAUW Journal Club blog. October 19, 2010. Note: Contains discussion of Value Report.
Megan Oakleaf. “Interview on the Value of Academic Libraries Report.” Oklahoma State Regents College Connection. September 25, 2010. Note: The audio interview begins at 3:30 in the September 25, 2010 edition.
Felix Chu. “Commentary on ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries.” Felix Chu’s Blog. September 24, 2010.
Phil Davis. “State of the Art I — The Future of Academic Librarians.” The Scholarly Kitchen. September 22, 2010.
Stephen Abram. “ACRL: Value of Academic Libraries.” Stephen’s Lighthouse. September 19, 2010.
Amy Fry and Steven Bell. “On Being Valuable: Point-Counterpoint.” ACRLog. September 17, 2010.
Christopher Barth. “Headline of the Week: The Value of Academic Libraries.” Luther College LIS This Week in LIS. September 17, 2010.
Barbara Fister. “Assessing the (Enduring) Value of Libraries.” Inside Higher Ed BlogU. September 17, 2010.
Barbara Fister. “Valuing Libraries – Peer to Peer Review.” Library Journal blog. September 16, 2010.
“Syracuse iSchool Prof. Megan Oakleaf’s writes ACRL Value of Academic Libraries report.” Syracuse iSchool News. September 14 2010.
The Value of Special Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/
Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaigns http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/
Having the Value Conversation: Springboard Stroies http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/having-the-value-conversation-springboard-stories/
I hope this helps people out. Let me know of other studies or strategies that you see that work!
Stephen