Steve Fesenmaier writes “Bob Molyneux, Director, Statistics and Surveys
US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
202-606-9181 has finally done it – he has created ONE NUMBER that simply
ranks how public libraries are doing around the country, state by state.
Using more than 20 different variables – number of patrons, reference
questions, funding at all levels, how many webcomputers/capita, etc. In
the world of science people are always trying to simply the complex
world down to numbers. Since 1999 when I was transferred from Film
Services to the newly created Research Librarian position at WVLC, I
have jokingly told various people in Washington, DC that I wanted to
compress all of the data we collect from our libraries using an annual
statistical survey, now up to 150 questions, down to ONE NUMBER. Thomas J. Hennen has also done something like this, Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings, using the same data, but he
sells the results.
Overall Rank State
1 New York 5.55
2 Ohio 6.15
3 Indiana 8.45
Steve Fesenmaier writes “Bob Molyneux, Director, Statistics and Surveys
US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
202-606-9181 has finally done it – he has created ONE NUMBER that simply
ranks how public libraries are doing around the country, state by state.
Using more than 20 different variables – number of patrons, reference
questions, funding at all levels, how many webcomputers/capita, etc. In
the world of science people are always trying to simply the complex
world down to numbers. Since 1999 when I was transferred from Film
Services to the newly created Research Librarian position at WVLC, I
have jokingly told various people in Washington, DC that I wanted to
compress all of the data we collect from our libraries using an annual
statistical survey, now up to 150 questions, down to ONE NUMBER. Thomas J. Hennen has also done something like this, Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings, using the same data, but he
sells the results.
Overall Rank State
1 New York 5.55
2 Ohio 6.15
3 Indiana 8.45
4 Connecticut 9.05
5 Illinois 9.15
6 Kansas 11.65
7 Massachusetts 11.75
8 Colorado 14.55
9 Maryland 15.2
10 Rhode Island 15.6
11 Wisconsin 15.9
12 Washington 16.1
13 New Jersey 16.5
14 Oregon 16.55
15 Wyoming 17.45
16 District of Columbia 18.45
17 New Hampshire 19.35
18 Alaska 19.4
19 Nebraska 19.45
20 Minnesota 20.8
21 Iowa 21.5
22 South Dakota 22
23 Michigan 22.35
24 Missouri 22.4
25 Maine 22.65
26 Vermont 23.55
27 Virginia 24.95
28 Utah 25.25
29 Idaho 28.55
30 Pennsylvania 28.6
31 Nevada 31.05
32 Hawaii 32.1
33 Louisiana 32.55
34 Florida 32.95
35 California 33.05
36 North Dakota 33.8
37 Arizona 34.4
38 Delaware 35.25
39 Oklahoma 35.9
40 South Carolina 36.6
41 North Carolina 37.75
42 West Virginia 38.6
43 Montana 38.8
44 Kentucky 39.2
45 Georgia 39.4
46 New Mexico 39.9
47 Texas 42.3
48 Mississippi 43.85
49 Alabama 44.2
50 Tennessee 46.4
51 Arkansas 46.55
to contact Bob – bmolyneux at NCLIS.gov
“
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