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<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="623" height="140" style="width:6.4861in;height:1.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D9A909.4AA271A0"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><a name="_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Contact: Buzzy Nielsen<o:p></o:p></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt;mso-add-space:auto"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Library Support and Development Services Program Manager<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt;mso-add-space:auto"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">971-375-3486<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">June 27, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Salem, Ore –</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The
State Library of Oregon is pleased to announce its participation in the state's Open Data Program with its recent publication of the Oregon Public Library Statistics dataset. By giving the public and local libraries access to this information, the State Library
hopes to increase transparency and accountability and create an opportunity to build stronger relationships among library users, library funders, and the libraries themselves.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">This dataset presents 13 years of longitudinal data on
public libraries in a single place and will be updated annually as new statistics are collected each year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The Public Library Statistical Report is an annual survey
sent to all public libraries in Oregon to collect data about library use, collections, programs, operations, and more. The data includes elements such as material checkouts, electronic resource use, program attendance, budgets, staffing, WiFi and computer
access, and facility information for every public library location in the state. Libraries, policymakers, and the State Library use this information to help improve library services for all people of Oregon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Ross Fuqua, the State Library’s Data & Digital Projects
Consultant, has diligently prepared these statistics for the Oregon Open Data Portal,
</span></span><a href="https://data.oregon.gov/stories/s/xr2x-d2d7"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">a new, legislatively mandated initiative</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">
coordinated by the State Government’s Chief Data Officer. At 168 discrete data points per each of the approximately 135 libraries across the state per year, there are over 300,000 discrete data points in this new dataset. This dataset is now
</span></span><a href="https://data.oregon.gov/dataset/Oregon-Public-Library-Statistics/8zw7-zgjw"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">officially published on the open
portal</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> and is completely accessible to the public.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Increasing public access to this data and enhancing discoverability
achieves the State Library’s </span></span><a href="https://www.oregon.gov/library/operations/Documents/State%20Library%20Strategic%20Plan%20-%20full%20version%20revised%20Jan%202021.pdf"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">strategic
initiative</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> to align data dissemination and access efforts
with state open data initiatives. Not only do these open datasets provide more government transparency for the people of Oregon, they are also available on a national level for researchers to use to inform their work in evaluating public library services.
One national news organization has already used the Oregon Public Library Statistics to inform their research on
</span></span><a href="https://www.govtech.com/biz/data/are-public-computers-in-libraries-becoming-obsolete"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">public computer usage</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">,
which came out only a week after the dataset had been published.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Having the Oregon Public Library Statistics on the Oregon
Open Data Portal also enhances ease of access for libraries to access their own information. Using the
</span></span><a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/statelibraryoforegon/viz/OregonPublicLibrarySnapshot/2022Snapshot"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Oregon
Public Library Snapshot page</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">, which is connected to this
open portal, libraries can get a high-level visual snapshot of their services, such as charts displaying library cardholders vs. non-cardholders in their districts, types of materials checked out, revenue, and more. The State Library has plans to create additional
tools and data visualizations like the Snapshot in the near future, which will allow libraries to continue improving their services in their own communities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For any questions, please contact Ross Fuqua,
<span style="color:black">Data & Digital Projects Consultant, at </span></span></span><a href="mailto:ross.fuqua@slo.oregon.gov"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">ross.fuqua@slo.oregon.gov</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">.</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk138686951"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
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