This paper provides an overview of library statistics as they relate to the value of library services. The first section reviews the Australian national think tank on library statistics, held in 1990. The second section examines the overall state of library statistics in Australia, focusing on deficiencies related to the lack of a central…

Investigates the capability of three library automated systems to generate some of the datasets necessary to form the ISO (International Standards Organization) standard on performance measurement within libraries, based on research in Liverpool John Moores University (United Kingdom). Concludes that the systems are weak in generating the…

Discusses statistical analyses of the effect of reduction in opening hours on book issues, or borrowing, of public library authorities (PLAs) in the United Kingdom. Demonstrates the difficulties involved in using statistical data to make accurate predictions of the impact of opening hour reductions on borrowing. (Author/LRW)

The Index of American Public Library Circulation dates back to 1939, and the Index of American Public Library Expenditures to 1951. These indexes are based on annual reports from a sample of all American public libraries serving more than 25,000 people each. Using the 1982 American Library Directory, the researchers identified 1,586 public…

Explains the concept of Public Lending Right (PLR), which provides for payments to authors based on the circulation of their books by public libraries, and describes the British experience with PLR since 1979. Issues involved in PLR and the possibility of its adoption in the United States are also discussed. (MES)

Due to inaccuracies in method, public libraries consistently undermeasure their reference transactions. This article chronicles the process of developing ways to systematize the count. Results of a literature survey, merits of various sample sizes, sample selection, and calculations are all discussed. Appendices include a list of categories of…

Reviews the role played by the International Federation of Libraries Association, International Standards Organization, and UNESCO in the establishment of international standards for library statistics. The Brazilian literature on the collection of library statistics is then analyzed to evaluate the extent to which such standards have been…

Libraries and information agencies depend heavily on statistics to describe their services, evaluate their activities, and measure their performance. In the data gathering on which statistical analysis depends, there are always assumptions and uncontrolled variables that interfere with the purity and objectivity of the data, and therefore…

LIBECON2000 is a project funded by DG13 of the European Commission within the Telematics Applications Programme that will run for three years (until early 2001). The project collects and publishes library statistics of 29 European countries on its World Wide Web site, http://www.libecon2000.org. This paper gives an account of the project's…

The Australian and New Zealand academic library statistics for 1996 provide data on overall staffing, services, collections. expenditures, and population in 43 Australian and 7 New Zealand academic library systems. Includes amendments to the 1995 statistics. (PEN)

Describes the use of questionnaires and interviews for a study on the use of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Library (Nigeria) by international students. Problems faced by students are highlighted, including the language barrier, new services, and unfamiliar library terminology. (Author/LRW)

This report presents data from the 1992 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) annual salary survey. Forty-two tables report data on professional salaries and years of experience, including breakdowns for minority librarians; distribution of professional staff by salary and position and by sex and position; the type of institution; and size of…

This user survey was part of a three-part diagnostic study that sought to obtain information on how public libraries operate in Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Venezuela) and the Caribbean (Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, and Surinam) and the social role performed by this type of service in the region.…

Reports on approaches to measuring the service quality of academic libraries in the United Kingdom. Discusses the role of government and the national background of quality measurement; measurement frameworks; better use of statistics; benchmarking; measuring user satisfaction; and possible future development. (Author/LRW)

Service to young adults in German public libraries expanded under the Nazis because of their idealization of youth. The elaborate structure created to propagate Nazi views determined the types of books and services available. Progress resulted from the accommodation to a totalitarian creed that was essentially evil. (EM)