Friday, October 26, 2018
Survey Week or Actual Count
The Annual Report is a means for reporting library activities and services as they are measured. As an example, if the library cannot afford a “people counter” at the entrance or encounters difficulty with counter operation, then “survey week” numbers should be collected during a representative week in the fall (the Public Library Development team recommends one week in April and another week in October), and extrapolated for a full year. If your library relies on survey week numbers for the Annual report, the survey should be taken soon and appropriate weeks marked on your calendar for future year collection.
The results of a survey week may differ greatly from previous years due to typical fluctuations in use (e.g., weather or school activities), but should be reported as tallied. When the survey results are averaged over time, the survey numbers will more accurately represent library performance. If a survey week is not implemented and a count is not taken using another method, the library should report “Did Not Collect” for those service areas rather than entering an estimate or arbitrary number.
More information about the Public Library Annual Report is available on the DPI Instructions and Forms for the Public Library Annual Report page – this page will be updated prior to opening the 2018 Annual Report.
New Annual Report Element Added
The Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has added a new Public Library Survey data element that Wisconsin will being collecting in the 2018 Annual Report. This collection will measure the annual number of website sessions for users connecting the library’s website for any length of time or purpose. All libraries with websites that are not social media accounts are expected to collect and report this information. More information on how to collect and report website visits will be shared prior to the opening of the 2018 Annual Report. We expect options will be available to report the collection method and if the number of website visits is not able to be reported.