Data element definitions

Section C. Data Element Definitions and Justification for Data Collection

This survey has not been changed since the OMB-approved 2006 Public Libraries Survey (PLS) was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The PLS consists of three sets of questions representing the states, the library administrative entities, and the library outlets.

A. State Characteristics

Part 1. Reporting Periods

Questions 1-2 establish the fiscal year for the state.

Part 2. Population

These two questions collect data on the official state population, and the total unduplicated population of legal service areas.

B. Administrative Entities

Part 1. Identification

These are basic identification items, such as name, address, and telephone number.

Part 2. Population and Service Outlets

This section collects data on the library’s legal service area, and number of central offices, branches, and bookmobiles.

Part 3. Staff

Questions 26-29 collect FTE data on librarians with the ALA-MLS, librarians, other paid staff, and total paid staff.

Part 4. Operating Revenue

This section breaks out operating revenue by source: Local, state, or federal government, other sources, and total operating revenue.

Part 5. Operating Expenditures

Questions 35-37 collect operating expenditures for salaries, benefits, and total staff expenditures. Collections expenditures are collected in items 38-41, and are broken into categories by format: Print, electronic, other, and total collection expenditures. The last two items in this section collect other operating expenditures, and total operating expenditures.

Part 6. Capital

This section breaks out capital revenue by source: Local, state, or federal government, other sources, and total capital revenue.

Part 7. Library Collections

Questions 50-56 collect data on the numbers of items by type: Print, electronic books, audio, video, databases, and current serial subscriptions that are reported by format –- print or electronic.

Part 8. Public Services

This section collects data on a range of service-related items: Public service hours, number of library visits and reference transactions, circulation, inter-library loan, and number of library programs and their attendance. Questions 68-9 concern the number of Internet terminals used by the public, and the number of users of electronic resources per year.

C. Library Outlets

Part 1. Identification

These are basic identification items, such as name, address, telephone number, Metropolitan Status Code.

Part 2. Questions 11-2 collect the square footage of the library outlet, and the number of bookmobiles.