I have been pulling together all of my posts on studies and reports on the value of public libraries for my work with the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries. I thought I might as well post it here too. I’m sure I’ve got some dupes in here but c’est la vie! Hope you find it useful! There are many useful talking points and proofs in this research.

The Value of Public Libraries Selected (mostly free) Web References:

CULC Analysis of Canadian Public Library Trends

In 2011 the Canadian Urban Libraries Council commissioned a study of library trends over the last decade.

Video: LibValue: Comprehensive Approaches to Defining Library Value

Tactic: Highlighting the Value of Library Use

Research Report conducted by Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania Fels Research & Consulting entitled The Economic Value of the Free Library in Philadelphia (2010) Fels_Report

Texas Public Libraries Return on Investment Study Available

https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/librarydevelopments/?p=13917

https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/sites/default/files/public/tslac/pubs/ROI_Final.pdf (223 page PDF)

The Value of Our Libraries:

Impact, Recognition and Influencing Funders by Stephen Abram, http://stephenslighthouse.com/files/ArkansasLA_Value.pdf

Upping Our Game: Unlocking Real Value in Libraries (Information Today) by Stephen Abram http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/jun13/Abram–Upping-Our-Game–Unlocking-Real-Value-in-Libraries.shtml

A Snapshot of Priorities & Perspectives: US Public Libraries – OCLC

http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/reports/us-libraries/214758usb-A-Snapshot-of-Priorities-and-Perspectives.pdf

PPT: Communicating Your Library’s Value: http://www.slideshare.net/crr29061/communicating-your-librarys-value

Dividends: The Value of Public Libraries in Canada http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/dividend/contents.htm

OCLC Community Advocacy and Awareness Site http://www.oclc.org/advocacy/default.htm

Libraries: How They Stack Up 2003 (OCLC) http://www5.oclc.org/downloads/community/librariesstackup.pdf

How Libraries Stack Up: 2010 (OCLC) http://www.oclc.org/reports/stackup/default.htm

The Public Library: A National Survey http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=801

Placing a Value on Public Library Services http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/resresul.htm

Public Library Benefits Valuation Study Methodology and Key Findings http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/valuationg.htm

The Role of Public Libraries in Local Economic Development http://www.ku.edu/pri/resrep/pdf/m260.pdf

Enhancing Economic Development through Libraries http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/Rural/documents/ReadMoreAboutIt.pdf

National Arts and Economic Prosperity Impact Study: Executive Summary Arts and Economic Prosperity http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/research/services/004.asp

Library and Information Center Management, Seventh Edition http://lu.com/management/weblinks.cfm

Making Book: Gambling on the future of our libraries (Kansas City) http://www.haplr-index.com/Making%20Book%20KCConsensus%20Library%20report-execsum.pdf

South Carolina Public Library Impact Study http://www.libsci.sc.edu/SCEIS/home.htm

Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/roi/publications.cfm

St. Louis Public Library: Placing a Value on Public Library Services http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/rescbec.htm

Impacts of the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Sector http://www.pano.org/economic%20impact%20study.pdf

British Library: Measuring Our Value http://www.bl.uk/cgi-bin/press.cgi?story=1399 http://www.bl.uk/pdf/measuring.pdf

The Value of Public Libraries (IFLA) http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/papers/119e-Aabo.pdf

One Dollar In, More than Three Out!: New Study Asserts the Economic Value of the San Francisco Public Library System http://www.friendsandfoundation.org/press_release.cfm?id=41

The Condition of Libraries: 1999-2010 (ALA)

http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/january2010/outlook_ors.cfm

The full report is available at http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/Condition_of_Libraries_1999.20.pdf.

Individual reports by type of library are available at http://www.ala.org/ala/research/index.cfm

Economic Value of Public Libraries in the UK http://www.librijournal.org/pdf/2002-2pp78-87.pdf Snapshot of Priorities & Perspectives – US Public Libraries (OCLC)

Southern Ontario Library Service – Environmental Scan for Ontario Public Libraries LJ’s “Who Uses Libraries and Why” (US)

TD National Reading Summit: Key-note speech by Craig Alexander, Canada’s Literary Challenge Expanding the eBook Market 2011:

CULC/CBUC White Paper on eBooks in Canadian Public Libraries Public Lending Right Commission Report on eBooks 2011

Dividends “Environmental” Study – original work and CAPL’s newer version

Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2009-2010

British Library’s impact on the UK economy

British Library: Measuring Our Value The Condition of US Libraries: Trends, 1999-2009 (ALA).

The full report is available here, press release here, and individual reports by type of library are available here.

Dividends: The Value of Public Libraries in Canada

Economic Value of Public Libraries in the UK Enhancing Economic Development through Libraries

How Libraries Stack Up: 2010 (OCLC)

Libraries: How The Stack Up 2003 (OCLC)

Impacts of the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Sector Library and Information Center Management, Seventh Edition

Making Book: Gambling on the Future of our Libraries (Kansas City) Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development. (ULC).

The Annie E Casey Foundation MAKING CONNECTIONS. Making Connections is the Foundation’s long-term, multi-site effort to demonstrate that results for children and families in tough neighborhoods can be changed for the better. Public Libraries figure in this work.

National Arts and Economic Prosperity Impact Study: Executive Summary Arts and Economic Prosperity

OCLC Community Advocacy and Awareness Site

One Dollar In, More Than Three Out!: New Study Asserts the Economic Value of the San Francisco Public Library System

Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries

Placing a Value on Public Library Services

The Public Library: A National Survey

Public Library Benefits Valuation Study Methodology and Key Findings

Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study (ALA)

The Role of Public Libraries in Local Economic Development

The Seattle Public Library Central Library: Economic Benefits Assessment Social Inclusion Audit and Toolkit. (CULC/CBUC)

South Carolina Public Library Impact Study

St. Louis Public Library: Placing a Value on Public Library Services

Report from the “Libraries and Museums in an Era of Participatory Culture” (October 2011)

The Condition of US Libraries: Trends, 1999–2009 (ALA)

State of US Public Libraries 2009 (ALA)

Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries

Third Generation Public Libraries: The Newman Report US IMPACT Public Library Study

The Value of Public Libraries (IFLA)

A few costed studies from Walt Crawford:

Give Us a Dollar and We’ll Give You Back Four (2012-13) by Walt Crawford Paperback: $19.99

$4 to $1: Public Library Benefits and Budgets by Walt Crawford eBook (PDF) $19.96 The Compleat Give Us a Dollar vol. 1: Libraries by Size by Walt Crawford eBook (PDF): $9.99

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/waltcrawford

EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY

The Future of Literacy in Canada’s Largest Cities Ontario Early Literacy Report by Charles Pascal

LIBRARY VALUE CALCULATOR(S) – Samples

Other types of libraries have interesting value studies too so here’s some of the older links:

Here are the links to the value and impact of libraries postings that I wrote this week all in one place. Please feel free to share:

The Value of Public Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/

The Value of School Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/

The Value of Academic and College Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-college-libraries/

Library Investment Index Summarizes Relative Size of ARL University Libraries for 2011–12

ACRL: Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report THE VALUE OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIES A Comprehensive Research Review and Report Prepared by Dr. Megan Oakleaf, Syracuse University for the Association of College and Research Libraries The Value of the Research Library

This page contains select articles and blog posts discussing the Value of Academic Libraries report. Visit the ACRL Delicious site for additional coverage and mentions of the Value of Academic Libraries project.

Media Coverage

Next Space: The OCLC Newsletter. December 2010.

Chronicle of Higher Education. September 14, 2010. Steven Kolowich. “ The Value of Libraries .”

Inside Higher Ed. September 14, 2010.

Blog Posts Etc.

Bdig (biblioteques digitals i cooperació). February 21, 2011. {Spanish language}

ACRLog. February 15, 2011.

Library Assessment Conference, Baltimore. December 2010.

October Meeting Recap .” LAUW Journal Club blog. October 19, 2010. Note: Contains discussion of Value Report.

Megan Oakleaf. “Interview on the Value of Academic Libraries Report.” Oklahoma State Regents College Connection . September 25, 2010. Note: The audio interview begins at 3:30 in the September 25, 2010 edition.

Luther College LIS This Week in LIS. September 17, 2010.

The Value of Special Libraries http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/

Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaigns http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/

Having the Value Conversation: Springboard Stories http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/having-the-value-conversation-springboard-stories/

I hope this helps people out. Let me know of other studies or strategies that you see that work!

Stephen