Data You Can Use in Reports & Presentations

When librarians are trying to prove their value to faculty/staff, stakeholders, administrations, and funders, one of the things they need to do is to present hard data. That warm & fuzzy "everyone loves libraries" line just isn't enough anymore. 

Fear not: There's lots of data out there! Here are just a few things I've recently come across:

Pew Internet Project study data, as presented by Lee Rainie. 

Lee speaks at lots of conference puts many talks on SlideShare. Here's the latest: 

The Changing World of Libraries 

Here's another good one: How Libraries Add Value to Communities

Check the SlideShare page for many more.

Also, one of my favorite factoid sources has just been updated: Quotable Facts About American Libraries. This pocket-sized card from ALA is a MUST for any advocate. It comes in English and Spanish. You can order packs of 100 for just $10 or download a PDF and print your own for free. It's full of great lines for elevator speeches, such as these: 

• "Research shows the highest achieving students attend schools with well-staffed and well-funded libraries." 
• "Almost 89% of public library outlets now offer wireless Internet access."
• "If the cost of People magazine had risen as fast as the cost of academic library periodicals since 1990, it  would cost about $182 for a one-year subscription."

ALA's E-book toolkit includes graphics like this one.

Finally, there's a toolkit to help you explain e-book lending practices to the public. ALA has released the “ALA E-book Media & Communications Toolkit,” a set of materials that will support librarians in taking action in their communities. It includes sample Op-Ed pieces for newspapers, press release templates, ALA talking points, e-book data, and public service announcement scripts.

Start using this data right away to improve everyone's understanding of why your work matters so much.