Public library ratings

Last updated

There are several national systems for assessing, evaluating, or otherwise rating the quality of public libraries.

Contents

United States

Basic library statistics (not rankings) were initially maintained by the National Center for Educational Statistics; that body continues to collect data for academic libraries, but administration of the Public Libraries Survey and the State Library Agencies Survey was transferred to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in October 2007. [1] IMLS continues to conduct public library surveys as well as distribute historical data from surveys back to 1988. [2]

The Library Data Archives includes longitudinal data sets. [3]

HAPLR and subsequent debate

The system that would become Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) was first published in the January 1999 issue of American Libraries prepared by Thomas J. Hennen Jr., Director of Waukesha County Federated Library System in Wisconsin. [4] Libraries were ranked on 15 measures with comparisons in broad population categories. HAPLR was updated annually through 2010 and was the focus of widespread professional debate in the field of librarianship.

Oregon State Librarian Jim Scheppke noted that the statistics that HAPLR relies on are misleading because they rely too much on output measures, such as circulation, funding, etc. and not on input measures, such as open hours and patron satisfaction. "To give HAPLR some credit, collectively, the libraries in the top half of the list are definitely better than the libraries in the bottom half, but when it gets down to individual cases, which is what HAPLR claims to be able to do, it doesn't work." [5]

In contrast, Library Journal editor, John N. Berry, noted: "Unfortunately, when you or your library receives any kind of honor, it stimulates the flow of competitive hormones in your professional colleagues. This jealousy rears its ugly head in many ways. We've suffered endless tutorials on the defects in Hennen's rankings. So what? They work!" [6]

Keith Curry Lance and Marti Cox, both of the Library Research Service, took issue with HAPLR reasoning backwards from statistics to conclusion, point out the redundancy of HAPLR's statistical categories, and question its arbitrary system of weighting criteria. [7]

Hennen responded, saying Lance and Cox seem to suggest "that the job of comparing libraries cannot be done, so I am at fault for having tried. Somehow, unique among American public or private institutions, libraries are just too varied and too local to be compared. Yet despite these assertions, the authors urge individuals to use the NCES Public Library Peer Comparison tool (nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/publicpeer/) to do this impossible task." [8]

A 2006 Library School Student Writing Award article questioned HAPLR's weighting of factors, and its failure to account for local factors (such as a library's mission) in measuring a library's success, the index's failure to measure computer and Internet usage, and its lack of focus of on newer methods of evaluation, such as customer satisfaction or return on investment. [9]

Ray Lyons and Neal Kaske later argued for greater recognition of the strengths and limitations of ratings. [10] They point out that, among other factors, imprecision in library statistics make ratings scores quite approximate, a fact rarely acknowledged by libraries receiving high ratings. The authors also note that HAPLR calculations perform invalid mathematical operations using ordinal rankings, making comparisons of scores between libraries and between years meaningless.

Star Libraries system

America's Star Libraries and Index of Public Library Service, an alternative system developed by Keith Curry Lance and Ray Lyons, was first introduced in the June 2008 issue of Library Journal . [11] This method rates on four equally weighted per-capita statistics with comparison groups based on total operating expenditures: library visits, circulation, program attendance, and public internet computer use. [12] The system awards 5-star, 4-star, and 3-star designations rather than numerical rankings. Creators of the LJ Index stress that it does not measure service quality, operational excellence, library effectiveness, nor the degree to which a library meets existing community information needs.

Australia and New Zealand

There is some interest in developing an index in Australia and New Zealand [13]

Great Britain

Great Britain adopted national standards, and in 2000 the Audit Commission began publishing both a summary annual reports of library conditions and individualized ratings of libraries. Audit Commission personnel base the reports on statistical data, long-range plans, local government commitment to the library, and a site visit. The Audit Commission is an independent body. Every library is assigned a score. [14]

Germany

Bertelsmann Publishing partners with the German library association to produce BIX, a library index quite similar to HAPLR. The main difference between BIX and HAPLR, is that BIX was designed to provide comparisons of one library to another in a given year as well as over time. HAPLR compares all libraries to one another only during a given year. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenton County, Kentucky</span> County in Kentucky, United States

Kenton County is a county located in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,064, making it the third most populous county in Kentucky. Its county seats are Covington and Independence. It was, until November 24, 2010, the only county in Kentucky to have two legally recognized county seats. The county was formed in 1840 and is named for Simon Kenton, a frontiersman notable in the early history of the state.

College and university rankings order institutions in higher education based on factors that vary depending on the ranking. Some rankings evaluate institutions within a single country, while others assess institutions worldwide. Rankings are typically conducted by magazines, newspapers, websites, governments, or academics. In addition to ranking entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools can be ranked. Some rankings consider measures of wealth, excellence in research, selective admissions, and alumni success. Rankings may also consider various combinations of measures of specialization expertise, student options, award numbers, internationalization, graduate employment, industrial linkage, historical reputation and other criteria.

<i>Library Journal</i> American trade publication for librarians

Library Journal is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice. It also reviews library-related materials and equipment. Each year since 2008, the Journal has assessed public libraries and awarded stars in their Star Libraries program.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States. It also conducts international comparisons of education statistics and provides leadership in developing and promoting the use of standardized terminology and definitions for the collection of those statistics. NCES is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Metropolitan Library</span> Library system in the Columbus metropolitan area

The Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) is a public library system in Franklin County, Ohio, in the Columbus metropolitan area. The library serves an area of 872,000 residents, has a collection of 1,483,433 volumes, and circulates 17,262,267 items per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twinsburg Public Library</span>

The Twinsburg Public Library is located in Twinsburg, a community located northeast Summit County, Ohio, roughly halfway between Akron and Cleveland. It began as the Samuel Bissell Memorial Library in 1910 but its name was changed in 1931 to comply with new laws regarding tax funds. It is currently a school district library associated with the Twinsburg City School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Clara County Library District</span> Public library system in California, U.S.

The Santa Clara County Library District is a public library system headquartered in Campbell, California. The library serves the communities and cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga, and all unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. Other cities in Santa Clara County run their own library systems. In addition to these libraries, the library provides mobile library service with a bookmobile which visits preschools, retirement communities, migrant farmworker camps, and rural communities without easy access to library services. In 2020 SCCLD also launched a new website featuring a 24/7 online library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vernon Area Public Library</span>

Vernon Area Public Library is a public library in Lake County, Illinois, United States, serving the communities of Lincolnshire and unincorporated Prairie View, most of Long Grove, and smaller portions of Buffalo Grove, Riverwoods and Vernon Hills. It operates a single library in Lincolnshire.

The Westerville Public Library is a public library that serves the community of Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. As a school district library, its geographic boundaries are defined by the Westerville City School District which is located in both Franklin County and Delaware County. All Ohio residents can apply for a Westerville Public Library card.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute of Museum and Library Services</span> US federal government agency

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the mission to "create strong libraries and museums that connect people with information and ideas." In fiscal year 2015, IMLS had a budget of $228 million. It is a sub-agency of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, along with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy audit</span> Inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows in a building

An energy audit is an inspection survey and an analysis of energy flows for energy conservation in a building. It may include a process or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output. In commercial and industrial real estate, an energy audit is the first step in identifying opportunities to reduce energy expense and carbon footprint.

Journal ranking is widely used in academic circles in the evaluation of an academic journal's impact and quality. Journal rankings are intended to reflect the place of a journal within its field, the relative difficulty of being published in that journal, and the prestige associated with it. They have been introduced as official research evaluation tools in several countries.

The Northbrook Public Library, located at 1201 Cedar Lane, serves the 33,170 residents of the Village of Northbrook, Illinois. The library received 470,700 visitors and circulated 856,000 items from its collection of 337,300 books, audio materials and videos in 2012. Library Journal gave the Northbrook Public Library its highest rating of 5 stars in 2012 and 2013 based on circulation, visits, program attendance and public internet use per capita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenton County Public Library</span> Library system in Kentucky

The Kenton County Public Library is a library system serving the residents of Kenton County, Kentucky. The library ranked first in Kentucky in Hennen's American Public Library Ratings 2008.

The West Bloomfield Township Public Library is located in West Bloomfield, Michigan, 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Detroit. The library system consists of the Main Branch and the Westacres Branch and serves the communities of West Bloomfield Township, and the cities of Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake and Sylvan Lake. West Bloomfield was ranked on Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings Index of top public libraries in 2005 and 2008 and has overall 150 employees. The West Bloomfield Township Public Library has been named one of 10 recipients of the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the United States of America's highest honor for museums and libraries. The annual award, made by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) since 1994, recognizes institutions for outstanding social, educational, environmental, or economic contributions to their communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaker Heights Public Library</span>

Shaker Heights Public Library is a library district in eastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio serving the city of Shaker Heights and that portion of the City of Cleveland, known as Shaker Square, which falls within the Shaker Heights City School District. This service area encompasses 7.5 square miles (19 km2) with a population of approximately 33,000. Shaker Library consists of the Main Library, located at 16500 Van Aken Boulevard, and the Bertram Woods Branch Library, 20600 Fayette Road.

The OECD Better Life Index, created in May 2011 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, is an initiative pioneering the development of economic indicators which better capture multiple dimensions of economic and social progress. The platform consists of a dashboard, that provides data and insights into key indicators - measuring areas such as wellbeing, environmental quality, quality of public services and security - alongside an interactive tool Your Better Life Index (BLI), which encourages citizens to create their own indexes by ranking each of the indicators according to the importance in their own lives.

The Algonquin Area Public Library District has two library facilities located in the village of Algonquin, Illinois. Covering approximately 14 square miles (36 km2), the Algonquin Area Public Library District encompasses roughly half of the village of Algonquin, a large part of the village of Lake in the Hills and a small portion of the village of Cary.

Prince William Public Library System (PWPLS) is a public library system in Virginia started in 1965. The system consists of 11 branches that include six full-service branches and five neighborhood branches across Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pueblo City-County Library District</span>

The Pueblo City-County Library District is a public library system serving Pueblo County, Colorado. The main branch, the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library, is located in the Mesa Junction neighborhood of the City of Pueblo, Colorado. Aside from physical books the library system also provides E-book downloads, Audiobook's, DVD collections, music, streaming movies and free wireless internet connectivity.

References

  1. ↑ NCES: Library Statistics Program
  2. ↑ IMLS: Public Libraries Survey
  3. ↑ Molyneux, Robert E. Library Data Archives continuously updated.
  4. ↑ Go Ahead, Name Them: America's Best Public Libraries, American Libraries Vol. 30, No. 1 (January 1999), pp. 72-76.
  5. ↑ Scheppke, Jim. (1999-11-15) “The Trouble with Hennen”, Library Journal 124 (19): p. 36, ISSN   0363-0277
  6. ↑ "On the Uses of Recognition". Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2007-09-18.Library Journal April 15, 1999.
  7. ↑ Lance, Keith Curry and Marti A. Cox. (June/July 2000), “Lies, Damn Lies, and Indexes”, American Libraries 31 (6): p. 82, ISSN   0002-9769
  8. ↑ American Libraries; Jun/Jul 2000, Vol. 31 Issue 6, p87, 1p
  9. ↑ Nelson, Elizabeth. (Winter 2007) “Library Statistics and the HAPLR Index” Library Administration & Management 21 (1) : p. 9, ISSN   0888-4463
  10. ↑ "Honorable Mention: What Public Library National Ratings Say" (Nov/Dec 2008)Public Libraries p.36-41.
  11. ↑ "The New LJ Index". Archived from the original on 2009-04-14. Retrieved 2019-01-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Library Journal June 15, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Better Than Hennen: LJ introduces "America's Star Libraries," rating public library service". Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2019-01-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Library Journal February 15, 2009.
  13. ↑ Bundy, Alan (2000). "Best value: Libraries". ALIA. Archived from the original on September 7, 2007. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  14. ↑ Audit Commission – homepage Archived 2005-11-23 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "About Us". BIX. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.