Transcript The UNESCO Institute for Statistics NN

Why library statistics? The statistician’s view
Simon Ellis
Head of Science Culture and Communications Statistics
www.uis.unesco.org
International demand for information literacy
statistics
 Millennium Development Goals
 World Summit on the Information Society
• Access to public information
• Indicator framework; Partnership for Measurement of
ICTs for Development – UNESCO, ITU, UNCTAD,
OECD, EU, UN
 Education For All
• Indicator framework; UNESCO Global EFA Monitoring
Report ‘literate environment’
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Why do libraries need statistics?
 What can’t be measured can’t be
managed
 Decline in library function/usage??
 Negotiating a new role
• Digital archives
• Information provision
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Libraries services - someone from whom you can
find out anything!
???
Training?
No service!
Gaming?
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The data pyramid/pagoda
global
regional
national
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Libraries as places for statistics
 Recognised in every community
 ‘controlled environment’
 Professional staff
 Sampling base; census records, electoral registers, telephone books
 Demand; people come to libraries with questions about their
community SO a good place to assess demand for information
 IT resources for examining results
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IFLA/ISO/UIS Library survey 2007 – the response
26/41 countries responded after three
reminders from UNESCO & IFLA
Only basic data on stock/ no. of institutions
available
Few responses on events, training, e-info
etc
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Information literacy indicators 2 - access
Number of volumes per 1000 inhabitants
Number of volumes per 1000 literate inhabitants
Percentage of public libraries offering an internet access for users
1000
120.0
900
100.0
800
700
80.0
600
500
60.0
400
40.0
300
200
20.0
100
Suriname
Antigua and
Barbuda
Saint Lucia
El Salvador
Peru
Costa Rica
Colombia
Jamaica
Venezuela
Mexico
Trinidad and Tobago
Guyana
0.0
Bahamas
0
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Library statistics in transitional & developing
countries
 Lower levels of literacy
• Greater need for surveys of ‘readers’
• locational studies; use reader surveys to place libraries
– where they will be used (in walking distance)
– Where they can help fight illiteracy and poverty
 Fewer resources
• What is the minimum set of statistics needed to run a local library?
• Lack of IT
– Reliance on manual counts/catalogues etc
– National data collected by hand & less networking
• More emphasis on effective use of national network; getting the
right books to the right places
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Libraries as place – the minimum
 The place – a tree
 A certain time of day
 Easy walking access
 Use of mobile technology
 Stock of books
 Information services
 Identifiable location
 A ‘known’ community
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What libraries don’t measure?
 Libraries should measure demand
• Surveys of readers, community surveys
• Use census data
• Barriers to use
• Most convenient opening times
• Interest in events and exhibitions
 Access issues
• Public transport
 Libraries as data centres always with something new to say about the
community
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We need discussion here on
 What are the best statistical indicators for libraries?
 Are different indicators required by developing and developed countries?
 How can we encourage libraries to collect more statistics?
• Choose the indicators that are most relevant….national….regional
…international. Which ones are they?
• Build ownership and capacity for data collection, in a climate of lack of
resources. How?
 Only when there is good national data will there be good international data
 Only when there is good international data will libraries role in ‘knowledge
societies’, Education for All, Information for All…. be recognised
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