Australia

Australian Public Library Statistics Survey Redevelopment

Information regarding the NSLA’s annual public library statistics survey, currently under review by staff from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the State Library of Queensland. The review is jointly funded by NSLA and the ABS, aiming to develop a uniform set of definitions to assist with data comparison across jurisdictions. Its second consultation paper will be distributed in March 2013.

Australian public libraries statistical report 2010-2011

Compiled by Public & Indigenous Library Services, State Library of Queensland. (July 2012)

Australian public library comparative report, 1998-2004

Statistical comparison of public libraries in Australian States and Territories.

Annual Australian public library statistics

The Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report is an annual NSLA project that identifies and measures the usage and activities of Australia’s public library services and the services they offer.

Source

Quote from

Australian Public Library Statistics, 2007-2008

• Australia’s public libraries provide quality information services that support lifelong learning to the Australian community, significantly impacting on the cultural and information industry.
• Access to services is provided through a network of 1,515 public library service points (1,437 fixed point libraries and 78 mobile libraries) throughout Australia, one service point for every 14,107 persons.
• Over 67% of public libraries are open for more than 30 hours each week, with more than 31% of libraries being open more than 45 hours per week.
• Over the five year period usage of libraries has increased to 177 million items being lent to the 9.9 million members of Australia’s public libraries.
• Over 109 million visits by customers were recorded in 2007-2008 (9.1 million visits per month), with customer visits per head of population increasing from 4.74 to 5.13 in the five year period.1
• Library services were delivered by 8,551 (FTE) staff employed in Australian Public libraries and library collections of more than 40 million items (1.9 items per person) were made available for the use of the community.
• Over $108 million was spent on ensuring that these collections remain up to date and relevant.
• Public libraries have continued to support the ever growing demand for access to information technology and resources, with an overall increase in the number of public access Internet terminals.
• A total of 7,821 terminals provide Internet access, and in addition a further 1,566 public access computer terminals were provided for word processing, CD-ROM use etc.
• Total expenditure on public libraries has increased from $651 million in 2003-2004 to $830 million in 2007-08, representing a 28% increase.
• Expressed on a per capita basis, funding for public libraries has increased by 20% over the same period to $38.86.

Resources

• National and state libraries. Links to statistics.
• Queensland. Library statistics
• Queensland. Reference enquiries and physical visits. Methodological points

Recent

• Australian public libraries statistical report 2007 – 2008. Final Report. – 34 pp.

National data from FY 96/97 to FY 07/08

Service output

• Customer visits per head of population
  • 4.08 – 4.44 – 4.23 – 4.14 – 4.39 – 4.58 – 4.61 – 4.74 – 4.68 – 5.25 – 5.32 – 5.13
• Loans per head of population:
  • 8.8 – 8.7 – 8.9 – 8.7 – 8.7 – 8.8 – 8.8 – 8.8 – 8.7 – 8.7 – 8.7 – 8.3
• Information Enquiries per 1000 persons
  • n.a. – 434 – 428 – 547 – 403 – 449 – 444 – 478 – 453 – 495 – 463 – 322

Over a period of nine years, visits increased by nearly one quarter – from 4.25  to 5.24 visits per capita. Loans and enquiries per capita remained stable till 06/07. From 07/08 onwards we may see changes in the pattern of library use, however.

The numbers are 3 year averages centered on 97/98 and 07/07 respectively.

Resource input

• Internet terminals per 10,000 persons
  • 0.4 – 0.6 – 1.2 – 1.6 – 1.8 – 2.2 – 2.5 – 2.7 – 3.0 – 3.3 – 3.6 – 3.7
• Population served per staff member (FTE)
  • 3,035 – 3,017 – 3,130 – 2,943 – 2,910 – 2,834 – 2,878 – 2,600 – 2,566 – 2,541 – 2,542 – 2,317
• Public Library expenditure per capita
  • $24.93 – $25.00 – $24.80 – $22.26 – $25.06 – $25.04 – $26.46 – $32.37 – $34.15 – $36.07 – $36.05 – $38.86

The introduction of  the web was the big change during the last decade. Staffing was also substantially increased.  From 96/97 per capita expenditure on libraries increased by nearly twenty percent in real terms.

• Library materials per head of population
  • 2.0 – 2.0- 1.90 – 2.0 – 2.0 – 2.0 – 1.9 –  2.0 – 2.0 – 2.0 – 1.9 – 1.9
• Library materials expenditure per capita
  • $3.58 – $3.78 – $3.88 – $3.97 – $4.05 – $4.22 – $4.51 – $4.64 – $4.87 – $5.07 – $5.02 – $5.07

From 96/97 per capita expenditure on materials increased by eight percent in real terms.

States and territories 2007-2008

Australia 2007-08

• Circulation per capita 8.3
• Customer visits per capita 5.1
• Loans per volume held  4.4
• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 8,551
• Qualified librarians (FTE): 2,317
• Loans per FTE: 20,800

Australian Capital Territory

• Circulation per capita 7.8
• Customer visits per capita 5.0
• Loans per volume held 5.6
• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 87
• Qualified librarians (FTE): 30
• Loans per FTE: 31,100

New South Wales

• Circulation per capita  7.0
• Customer visits per capita 5.2
• Loans per volume held 3.5

• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 2369
• Qualified librarians (FTE): 829
• Loans per FTE: 20,600

Northern Territory

• Circulation per capita  4.7
• Customer visits per capita 5.2
• Loans per volume held 3.2

• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 86
• Qualified librarians (FTE): 20
• Loans per FTE: 12,000

Queensland

• Circulation per capita  9.3
• Customer visits per capita  4.4
• Loans per volume held  4.9

• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 1397
• Qualified librarians (FTE): 367
• Loans per FTE: 28,500

South Australia

• Circulation per capita  11.5
• Customer visits per capita  7.1
• Loans per volume held 4.9

• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE)
• Qualified librarians (FTE)
• Loans per FTE: 26,400

Tasmania

• Circulation per capita  9.9
• Customer visits per capita  5.8
• Loans per volume held  6.7

• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 161
• Qualified librarians (FTE):  45
• Loans per FTE: 30,600

Victoria

• Circulation per capita  8.6
• Customer visits per capita 5.2
• Loans per volume held 5.2

• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 2676
• Qualified librarians (FTE): 554
• Loans per FTE: 17,000

Western Australia

• Circulation per capita  7.5
• Customer visits per capita 4.6
• Loans per volume held  3.7 4.4

• Loans per visit
• Total staff (FTE): 1077
• Qualified librarians (FTE): 295
• Loans per FTE: 15,000

APPENDIX

The Consumer Price Index

The Australian CPI was 120 in 1996 and 158 in 2007. That means

• $24.93 in 1996 corresponds to $24.93 * (158/120) = $32,82 in 2007
• $3.58 in 1996 corresponds to $3.58 * (158/120) = $4.71 in 2007

Staff numbers

There are two inconsistencies in the staff numbers (FTE) provided.

• In the 99/00 report the number for that year was given as 6417.
• In the 00/01 report – and onwards – the number was revised to 6510
• In the 04/05 report the number for that year was given as 8466
• In the 05/06 report and onwards the number was revised to 7922

The corrected series from 96/97 to 07/08 becomes

• 6,031
• 6,208
• 6,060
• 6,510
• 6,671
• 6,930
• 6,908
• 7,735
• 7,922
• 8,107
• 8,269
• 8,551