January 13 2016

 

Question

 

Lisa Hickle (OH)

 

A question I received is:

    how to count the mobile hotspots that many libraries are circulating now. This Verizon Jetpack isan example:. Do the stats from these count in the wireless category? If not, how should these be counted?

 

Are you asking your libraries to include these and if so how/where?

 

Thanks!

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SDC Comments

 

Terry Blauvelt (MO)

 

A hotspot is essentially a wireless router (to clarify: a router without a connection via cable), so I would count them towards annual wireless sessions.

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Megan Schulz (KS)

 

In Kansas, we partnered with a NYPL project (and others) for a pilot project dealing with MiFi Router. Verizon Hotspots are circulated to patrons.

 

These are cataloged/barcoded like books and “Circulation of Electronic Materials” would capture this usage in the survey.

 

I am not aware that these are also be counted within the wireless question in our state since the checkout period is for a few weeks and the circulation report would only show one. It is my understanding that usage statistics is not available through the provider because of the way we have the system setup for the pilot.

 

However, that pilot is now/has now come to an end and libraries may opt to continue but paying for their own payment plans and therefor obtain more statistics on usage.

 

Are people putting these counts as an answer for both questions? Circulation of electronic materials (like checked out ereaders) and also wireless sessions?

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Scott Dermont (IA)

 

I would count this as an equipment checkout. Like a laptop or tablet checked out for home use. Once the device leaves the building, it becomes circulation rather than Internet use. I think the wireless sessions works the same way. We are looking for the use of the library’s wireless service “in-house.” Once they take the router home, I think it becomes a different kind of count - circulation.

 

I think it is useful information to know that a library is checking these devices out. But I don’t think it is useful to know how much the patron uses it at home. I think this is comparable to checking out physical materials such as a DVD. We want to know how many times it checks out, not how many times the patron uses it once they get home.

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Michael Golrick (LA)

 

Hi-

 

I was waiting to chime in as I catch up from the holidays and having been at ALA Midwinter. I had a nagging feeling as I saw the initial responses, but had not been able to figure out why. I think that Scott put into words what I was trying to figure out.

 

Counting the checking out of the device is the service we provide. Just like with books, DVDs, anything else, we don’t count how many or how it is used. (Parents and grandparents can identify with reading a book over and over again.)

 

If I library can, and wants to count, the hotspot/data use, that is fine. I don’t think that it is comparable enough to be added to the wireless use we seek to count.

 

Hope the year has begun well for all.

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Terry Blauvelt (MO)

 

The PLS doesn’t collect equipment checkouts.

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Scott Dermont (IA)

 

I would normally count that in as part of element 550. We don’t break things down by category on the PLS. As that definition is pretty broad, we break it out into a few big categories on my state survey. I have an “other” category that I would use to count equipment. But you are right Terry, that it all gets totaled up into 550.

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Sam Shaw (NE)

 

And I wonder if those would be captured under the new proposal for “physical item circulation”. The only issue I have with “if you want to count them, OK, if not, OK also” is that this is a national element. Therefore, you might have state A that captures and reports the use and state B that doesn’t, and thus comparing the two might be difficult, if not pointless. And (that’s 2 sentences started with And in case you are counting) then we have to ask why are we capturing it at all.

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Michael Golrick (LA)

 

Hi-

 

Not explicitly. For my state it is included in 550, I think I include it in “Other” for when I ask libraries to report more detail to me.

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Scott Dermont (IA)

 

The definition for total circulation is very short and very broad. Pretty much anything checked out for use outside the library is counted. This doesn’t just cover equipment. I have libraries that also checkout cake pans and art prints, amongst other things. As far as I know, we’ve always counted that stuff as circulation. I agree that all states should be consistent with this. To be honest though, I’m not sure why other states wouldn’t count it. I think for physical items it doesn’t make a difference if it is a book, CD, Blu-Ray, or screwdriver. If the library checks it out for use outside the library, it is circulation.

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Terry Blauvelt (MO)

 

We probably need to either add a category or amend the definition of 550. Missouri collects four categories of electronic equipment checkouts, but we don’t consider them a library material to include in 550. If each state is collecting and counting these differently, the numbers become inaccurate and thereby unusable with any confidence level. The way I am seeing the definition of 550 interpreted, I should be including the circulation of fishing poles and seeds in addition to the aforementioned equipment.

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Sam Shaw (NE)

 

Thanks, Scott. We also have always counted the circulations of cake pans, tools, puppets, tablet computers, light sabers, etc. We lump those into 550.

 

I should clarify – I meant to point out differences in counting or not counting WiFi uses from the circulated mobile hot spots. I agree with your original post on not counting (uses that is).

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Scott Dermont (IA)

 

OK, sorry Sam, I think I misunderstood your original post. I’d hate to discourage you from agreeing with me! 

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Scott Dermont (IA)

 

I’d agree with the fishing poles. Seeds on the other hand... What are you actually counting?  Usually the idea of circulation is that the item is returned. Maybe the person checking out seeds brings in new ones, but maybe not. I don’t think I’d count it. I normally don’t count free giveaways of items as circ.