[PL-Directors] Library statistics question - meeting room usage data?

[Ross Fuqua]

Hello Oregon public library directors,

Would you find it useful if the State Library gathered statewide data on public meeting room usage? Would statewide data on meeting rooms help you tell the story of your public library as a community gathering place? If you feel strongly one way of the other about this idea, I'd like to hear from you!

If there is a justifiable amount of interest in this, we would most likely seek to collect:

1.       Number of meeting rooms (separate from other public space) available for use by the public at each library branch.

2.       Number of non-library-sponsored meetings or events held in the space annually.

For more context...

I'm trying to get a sense if this data would be meaningful enough to our community to justify adding a couple of questions to the State Library's annual Public Library Statistical Report/survey<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/statsfaq>. Maybe some of you are already collecting meeting room stats internally at your library... I also realize that some of you do not have the space and/or cannot offer this service - I'd like to hear from you as well.

A few other state library agencies have been collecting statistics around public library meeting rooms in their states, and they've reported that it's been helpful in illustrating the importance of library-as-space to local policy makers. Please keep in mind this data is not collected or reported on a national level at this time.

The State Library would not add these questions to the next report (which opens this August, and will cover data points for the current July 1- June 30 period), but if there is enough interest, we'll provide guidance later this spring about how and what to start counting starting July 1, 2019. Responding to these questions would also be optional, at least for the first 2-3 years.

Thank you so much for your input! Please contact me if you have any questions, and I'll aim to share the results of this query in a couple weeks from now.

Cheers,

Ross Fuqua
Data & Federal Programs Consultant
503-378-5027 | oregon.gov/library/libraries<https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries>
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