FY23 Memorandum-Justification for Nonsubstantive Change PLS

Memorandum

DATE: September 22, 2023

TO: Connie Bodner, Director, Office of Grants Policy and Management, IMLS

FROM: Marisa Pelczar, Program Analyst, Office of Research and Evaluation, IMLS

SUBJECT: Notification of Nonsubstantive Changes to FY 2023 Public Libraries Survey (OMB# 3137-0074)

This notification of nonsubstantive changes pertains to the 36^th cycle in the Public Libraries Survey (PLS) series, which will be conducted following the close of FY 2023 starting in January 2024. We will remove 10 data elements related to the COVID-19 pandemic from the FY 2023 PLS instrument. These elements were originally introduced through an expedited approval process in Spring 2020 to be added to the FY 2020 PLS cycle collected the following year. The removal of the following 10 Yes/No data elements does not introduce significant changes to the estimated respondent burden or the costs to the federal government:

1. Data Element 510, Closed Outlets Due to COVID-19 (C19CLOSE)

2. Data Element 511, Public Services During COVID-19 (C19PUBSV)

3. Data Element 514, Electronic Library Cards Issued During COVID-19 (C19ECRD2)

4. Data Element 515, Reference Service During COVID-19 (C19REFER)

5. Data Element 516, Outside Service During COVID-19 (C19OUTSD)

6. Data Element 520, External WiFi Access Added During COVID-19 (C19XWIF2)

7. Data Element 521, External WiFi Access Increased During COVID-19 (C19XWIF3)

8. Data Element 522, Staff Re-Assigned During COVID-19 (C19STOTH)

9. Data Element 715, Number of Weeks an Outlet Closed Due to COVID-19 (C19WKSCL)

10. Data Element 716, Number of Weeks an Outlet Had Limited Occupancy Due to COVID19 (C19WKSLO)

The PLS annually collects descriptive data on the universe of public libraries in the United States and the territories. It has been conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, pursuant to P.L. 107-279, under the clearance number 3137-0074, which expires 11/30/2024. Information such as public service hours per year, circulation of library books, number of full-time equivalent library staff, population of legal service area, expenditures for library collection, programs for children and young adults, staff salary data, access to technology, etc., is collected from the State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAA) of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five Territories.

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