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NCampus - Nebraska Library Commission

Basic Skills: Resources for Librarians


The Community and the Library


Topic 1: What Information About the Community Does the Library Find Useful?

Assigned Readings:

Collection Development Plan. Contra Costa [CA] Public Library

Additional Resources:

Topic 2: What Belongs in a Community Profile?

Assigned Readings:

Scottsbluff/Gering Community Profile

A Bit On Community Needs Analysis

Developing A Community Profile

Doing the Community Profile

Additional Resources:

Community Profile Format The Ohio State University

Community Profile. Oshawa Community Strategic Plan.

"Analyzing community information needs: a holistic approach," by Lynn Westbrook. Library Administration & Management 14.1 (2000): 26-30.


Topic 3: Collecting and Using Information About Library Users and Their Behavior

Assigned Readings:

The Customer Focused Library (Webinar.) Web Junction

"Crunching the Numbers: Library Circulation Statistics," by Robin Brenner. School Library Journal, October 18, 2008.

Library Data Services

Library Statistics Feed

Questions Asked in the 2010-2011 Nebraska Public Library Survey

Compare Public Libraries

Additional Resources:

Topic 4: Community Information from Publicly Available Sources

Assigned Readings:

Community Information. NPPD.

2010 Census Results

American FactFinder

Additional Resources:

NebraskAccess

Where Can I Find Statistics about Nebraska Counties and Towns

Maps of Nebraska

County Business Patterns

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

NEworks. Nebraska Department of Labor

Economy at a glance: Nebraska

Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council

FFIEC Geocoding System

FFIEC Census Reports

Nebraska Public Power District

Community Information

Nebraska Economic Development Online-Community GIS Information

National Center for Educational Statistics

Nebraska Department of Education

2010 - 2011 State of the Schools Report

Data Reporting System

Nebraska Department of Economic Development

Public Library Geographic Database

Research and Statistical Data. Nebraska Health and Human Services System

Nebraska Facts-At-A-Glance. statehealthfacts.org

Nebraska...Our Towns, a historical extension of Virtual Nebraska

Public Library Statistical Data

Statemaster.com - Nebraska

FedStats.gov

Where American Are Moving


Topic 5: Analyzing Statistics

Assigned Readings:

Qualitative v. Quantitative Data

The Millennials

Additional Resources:

10 Awesome Free Tools To Make Infographics

Tips on Presenting Your Data With Tables and Graphs

Statistics Every Writer Should Know

How to Understand Statistics

Statistics: The Average (Video 12:35)


Topic 6: Collecting and Using Information from the Community

Assigned Readings:

User Surveys: Libraries Ask, "Hey, How Am I Doing?" Dwight B. King, Jr. Law Library Journal, Winter 2005.

Survey Design

Community Life in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska

The Digital Age: Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans' Use of Technology

Conducting Community Surveys

Library User Surveys on the Web

Additional Resources:

Using Statistics to Tell the Library Story