Posted to SDC email list 6/6/2013

 

Katrice Stewart (FL)

 

As a relatively new SDC, I’m struggling to understand how we here in Florida have historically reported data on the tables we publish on our website as a result of the public library survey data.  I wanted to hear from people regarding the options they give to libraries on questions and see if anyone is making as fine of a distinction as we have or does the majority only use the Federal options on their questions.

 

In the past, we’ve used Not Reported (NR) if a library has given us data in the past, but only reported out on a few questions on the current survey.  We’ve used N/A if a library does not offer a service (maybe audio/video or ILL).  We’ve used Not Counted (NC), which translates to the Fed -1, when the library offers something but does not have the data/count available, and 0 basically for the financial questions if the library did not receive certain funding.  Does anyone make such a distinction?

 

Part of the issue may be that we do not have all of the questions as “required” questions, so making a distinction is sometimes necessary.  Does the majority of SDCs have all of their questions required?

 

To me, it seems like the easiest thing to do would be to make all of the questions required and only offer the options that the Feds accept.  Then when it came time to put our data tables on the web for public use, there would be more consistency. 

 

Thanks so much for offering some feedback.  I appreciate it very much!  Have a great day!

 

******************************

 

SDC Comments:

 

Bruce Pomerantz (MN)

 

Minnesota requires all the questions to be answered with the following two permissible responses concerning no activity and unknown activity amounts. 

 

-1 = an activity that the library does not have the data for.

0 = no activity, including even if the library does not offer the service. Example: if a library has no video materials, the answer is 0. N.A. is not permitted because the library knows exactly how many videos it has to lend: zero.

 

******************************

 

Eleanor Bernau (NM)

 

New Mexico is similar to Minnesota.  Almost all questions are required or prefilled.  Even local questions we add are required, even if the entry is N/A, e.g. , N10 Please enter any other comments about your library that you would like reflected in the annual report. If you don’t add any comments, enter N/A.

 

The exceptions to required questions are those we ask of our 19 tribal public libraries which can’t be required in Bibliostat Collect because then every library would have to enter something.  But it’s rare that any of the tribal libraries omit an answer and if they do I follow up to ensure the info is added.

 

******************************

 

Katina Jones (MO)

 

I make all the Federal questions required and some of the state specific ones [such as the tax rate set for the reporting year (for state aid purposes) or whether they are partnering with local groups on programming (for our 5-year LSTA plan)]. For the federal questions, they are allowed to answer N/A – that they have the item or provide the service, but don’t count it (unfortunately, I have a lot of little libraries that have no reliable means of counting visitors or reference transactions). For the state required questions, most are yes/no or just flat out require an answer (even if that answer is zero).

 

All of the libraries that are eligible and receive state aid are required to complete the annual survey. In Missouri, our non-tax or volunteer libraries (that are not eligible for state aid and don’t meet the FSCS definition of a library) are not required to complete the survey. That eliminates your NR option for us.

 

Hope that helps.

 

******************************

 

Michael Golrick (LA)

 

Like others, I have almost all the questions as required. One of my goals has been to get people to answer number questions with 0 (zero) and other questions with N/A (like, notes about who to contact with questions).

 

As a side note, I don’t let them do math, and have totals automatically calculated *including* the numbers of computers located in each facility rolling up in to the system total, and the number of hours of public service calculated from the weekly hours times the number of weeks added across the system.

 

I am in the process of reviewing data now, and folks are getting better. I only have 68 libraries, so if I don’t like or understand an answer (or if there was data last year and not this year), I call them. I have a luxury that many don’t in the number of libraries. However, many libraries take advantage of the notes fields to explain things, or in the case of the local notes, remind themselves where the data originates. Notes can help a lot.

 

Just my two cents, now back to data review, and tracking down those last three recalcitrant libraries.

 

******************************

 

Ann Reed (OR)

 

Oregon is also pretty typical. 

 

We make the federal questions required, as well as any that are truly necessary at the state level due to some flow of cash or state regulation.  We do have some directory, and fine levels type questions that are optional.

 

Years ago I had many of the options you list, but it got to be a bit much to normalize, esp. with my recalcitrant reporters, shall we say.

 

Then it dawned on me –

 

They either have the item or service or don’t.

 

If they don’t have or do something, the answer is 0.  NA is just a cop out.

If they do, and have a pretty good idea, they list a number.

If they do, and haven’t got a clue how much, its n.c. for not counted. 

 

I hear ya on the not reported – If it’s something obvious such as reference – I’ll fill in a n.c. and then bug them about it.  If I don’t know at all, I’ll call first.

 

It’s a whole ‘nother conversation of how to squeeze data out of knuckle-dragging neanderthal deadbeat libraries.

 

******************************

 

Katrice Stewart (FL)

 

Thanks so much, Ann, for the wonderful feedback and the great laugh for a Friday.  I’m clearly seeing that we’re just making this more confusing than it needs to be.  Have a great weekend everyone!

 

******************************

 

Daria Bossman (SD)

 

Yes, I agree. Thanks for the Friday afternoon humor! We work really hard to keep this simple and get it across to folks that “NA” is indeed a “cop-out” and it only invites us to contact (and bug) them when they need to give us real numbers (or in some cases just any number will do…) 

 

******************************

Robert Jones (IL)

 

For Illinois – all questions are required to be answered. Only the federal questions trigger an edit check (unless a question has been left unanswered). We do include N/A as an answer choice for every question on the survey, however NR and NC are not.