The new Library Journal data analysis tool is something I find both interesting and useful. It helps that Keith Curry Lance; former statistics guru for the Colorado State Library and one of the authors of the tool and I both worked in Colorado at the same time.

 

Statistics can tell part of a library’s story. LJ focuses on 4 basic service statistics and so will I. Because some of you are thinking, “statistics don’t lie, statisticians do” I’ll try to explain how I built my statistics, or lie if you prefer.

 

As the director of the Marion Public Library, I selected the chart that included my expenditure range of $2,000,000 to $4,999,999. Because that range includes 35 libraries of various populations, I chose to focus on a smaller number, selecting the 7 larger and 7 smaller libraries, which including my own makes 15. Then I calculated the per capita for the four categories of circulation, library visits, program attendance, and internet sessions. 

 

What do these charts tell me? They tell me what library is having more success so that I can talk to them about improving my services, and perhaps what kinds of questions to ask. None of these charts can tell me why my numbers are lower than I’d like, but if I look again next year I’ll know if the improvements we’re trying are successful. I do plan on showing these to my Board once a year. I want them to know that we are looking beyond ourselves to what comparable libraries are doing.

 

What will you do? You may want to compare the whole group, you may want a tighter expenditure group, you may want a data element other than the four here. Build statistics that help you, maybe someday we’ll have lunch and compare tall tales!