STATISTICS FOR ADVOCACY

Do you need numbers to argue your case? This blog documents the IFLA course on Statistics for advocacy.

IFLA has developed a coherent series of training modules for competence building in library associations. The main focus is advocacy

– or the power to mobilize people, politicians, parties and governments at all levels to  support libraries – based on their actual contributions to society.

ST 9/11: A new library census

This fall the Dominican Republic is conducting a new National Census of Libraries. During the IFLA conference in San Juan, the group of researchers involved asked the Section for Statistics and Evaluation to evaluate the project. Our report, developed by two members of the section, was sent five days ago. Yesterday we received the answer from the project (see below):

Statistics and Evaluation Section
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

Last Thursday, on September 8th of this month,we received a valuable communication written by Mr. Tord Hoivik and Antoni Feliu, members of the Statistics and Evaluation Section of IFLA.

ST 8/11: Nuevo censo de bibliotecas

En este otoño la República Dominica esta realizando un nuevo Censo Nacional de Bibliotecas. Durante el congréso de IFLA en San Juan, el grupo de investigadores ha preguntada a la Sección de Estadísticas y Evaluación de  evaluar el proyecto. Nuestras notas, que han sido elaboradas de dos miembros de la sección, se enviaban hace cinco días. Recibimos ayer la respuesta de la Comisión (véase debajo):

Sección de Estadística y Evaluación
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

Distinguidos señores;

En el pasado jueves 08 de septiembre del corriente, recibimos una valiosa distinción: un gratificante mensaje de los señores Tord Hoivik y Antoni Feliu, miembros de la Sección de Estadísticas y Evaluación de la IFLA, en el cual nos ratifica que el trabajo elaborado por la Comisión Técnica del 2do. Censo Nacional de Bibliotecas de la Biblioteca Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (BNPHU), está muy bien fundamentado y es muy completo, tanto en su planteamiento conceptual y práctico como en su planificación; y el mismo está adecuado a las condiciones locales de la región.

ST 7/11: Public libraries in Brazil 2009

Brazil has just carried out a systematic count of all its municipal public libraries. I summarize some of the data below

The  First National Census of Public Municipal Libraries (PML) shows that in 2009

• 79% of the municipalities had at least one functioning library
• in 13% public libraries were being planned or in the process of reopening
• in 8% they were absent (closed, abandoned or had never existed)

ST 6/11: Brazil 2009: bibliotecas públicas

Brazil has just carried out a systematic count of all its municipal public libraries.

I summarize some of the data below, and will add a version in English before the weekend.

O 1º Censo Nacional das Bibliotecas Públicas Municipais mostra que, em 2009,

• 79% dos municípios brasileiros possuíam ao menos uma biblioteca aberta
• 13% dos casos, as BPMs ainda estão em fase de implantação ou reabertura
• 8% estão fechadas, extintas ou nunca existiram.

ST 5/11: IFLA/SES Indicadores básicos para bibliotecas públicas

Los indicadores básicos para bibliotecas públicas constituyen un subconjunto del núcleo de indicadores propuesto por IFLA / SES.

1. Acceso e instalaciones

• Número medio de bibliotecas públicas por cada 1.000 habitantes
• Promedio ponderado de horas de apertura de las bibliotecas públicas
• Porcentaje de bibliotecas públicas que ofrecen un acceso a Internet para los usuarios
• Porcentaje de bibliotecas públicas que ofrecen sitios web

ST 4/11: Levels of statistical development

The question how the statistical data will be gathered in the future is of vital importance.

This is the message from my IFLA colleagues Ulla Wimmer and Theo Bothman. Wimmer is secretary of the IFLA Statistics and Evaluation Committee. Bothman works with FAIFE and the IFLA world report.

• By all experience, a survey on a global scale cannot be done by volunteer work (i.e. the Standing Committee) alone.
  
• The project [“Global Statistics for IFLA World Report" ] was started on the assumption that it would be possible to gather the data as part of the World Report Survey with input by the Section SC.
• As this option is no longer available, an alternative plan is needed, which combines resources by volunteers and a professional structure / paid workforce.
  
• Suggestions by the Professional Committee are highly appreciated.

My answer would be:

At the moment, the quantity and quality of statistical information on libraries varies enormously between countries. A handful of countries run advanced statistical systems with comprehensive coverage of their public, academic and special libraries. School libraries, which tend to be small and poorly staffed, is still a statistical problem, however.

ST 3/11: Estadísticas para la defensa y la promoción

Toni Feliu ha preparado una serie de diapositivas en castellano sobre el curso.

Toni Feliu has prepared a set of slides in Spanish as an introduction to the course.

ST 2/11: The impact of community size

,In connection with the Statistics for Advocacy course we need concrete case studies from different countries. The cases have two main purposes:

• to provide data sets or practical exercises
• to illustrate different ways of utilizing statistical data in the library field

Here is a new case from Norway.

ST 1/11: Norwegian training course

The first Statistics for advocacy course in Norway was held in Drammen, on Tuesday May 31.

The Ypsilon bridge (here viewed from the library side) crosses the Drammen river. It links the east side of the city with the west.

The course has been translated into Norwegian by Tord Høivik, who chaired the working group that developed the original version. The event was co-organized by Buskerud County Library and the LATINA Lab at Oslo University College.

After Gøteborg

Based on our experiences in Crete and Sweden we have now restructured the Statistics for Advocacy training materials.

Trainers’ manual

The trainers’ manual (TM) now contains

• an introduction for trainers. This introduction describes
  • the historical background of the workshop
  • the specific resources needed to conduct a succesful course
• a course plan for trainers
• the workshop manual (for participants – see below)
• link to a collection of Case materials
• link to a collection of Exercises