NOTE on warning: When I download this spreadsheet a red bar pops up warning that "editing" the spreadsheet may harm the computer. This is ridiculous. This spreadsheet is meant only to be read anyway to learn how to do "library comparisons". You won't actually edit the spreadsheet or harm your computer.
At the beginning of each year, librarians submit an annual statistical report. The document you are reading shows how to use a spreadsheet of the statewide collection of this data to create bar charts comparing your library with 40 other libraries serving communities of similar size. Some states provide their statewide statistical data only in pdf. Ask for a spreadsheet version.
I use these
charts for two purposes.
First,
quite often librarians "feel" a deficiency in the library and need
a way to prove this "feeling" is real. These charts support claims
that "other libraries serving towns our size have more of this or that
and, therefore, our library needs more too." The tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet illustrate two
examples. "Staff FTE" shows the need for more staff. "Total local
income" shows the need for more money.
Second,
when I evaluate libraries, I create about 15 charts covering all aspects of the
library: library size, hours open, local income, expenditures, staffing,
collection size, circulation, programming, etc. Comparing charts allows me to
claim that a library is equivalent to other libraries in some aspects, but not
in another aspects. Often the charts suggest strategies for making
improvements. For example, since staffing FTEs and total local income are lower
than other libraries, raising local income would provide additional money to
increase staff hours. The "library evaluation" tab illustrates
several examples of this type of analysis.
All
statistical analysis relies on quality of the data. "Issues"
discusses this analysis grapples with the unreliability of the data.
So
how are these charts created? The "Steps to creating charts" tab
illustrates eleven steps for making charts. Once this method is learned,
creating a chart takes about one minute.
Library Comparisons by Chris Rippel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3714228/Handouts/LibraryComparisons.xls.
