When we first proposed the LJ Index ratings in 2008 we had several purposes in mind:
- To showcase a substantial number of U.S. public libraries whose levels of service delivery distinguish them among their peers.
- To rate libraries based on services delivered (outputs) only, exclusive of resources used (inputs).
- To acknowledge the approximate nature of ratings of any kind by classifying the LJ Index awards into tiered 3-Star, 4-Star, and 5-Star categories.
- To make the results understandable by using straightforward scoring methods and publishing the detailed data upon which rating scores are based, and to encourage libraries to explore these statistics regardless of whether they earned a Star or not.
- To raise awareness of the need for improved completeness and accuracy of annual library statistical reporting.
- To inspire discussion about new output measures that will reflect the changing nature of library service.
Given the current financial climate and evolving roles of 21st-century public libraries, we are more convinced of the relevance of these objectives than ever. Further information about the LJ Index design, calculation methods, qualifications for libraries to be included, and similar topics are available at lj.libraryjournal.com/stars-faq.
More libraries than ever (7,570) qualified for 2012 ratings (see second table, below). Since the first edition in 2009, the count of libraries rated has increased by 6.4 percent. In large part, this increase has been due to improved reporting of the four LJI per capita measures. In the spring 2009 edition, 919 libraries neglected to report one or more of the required output measures. However, this shrank to 477 this year—a 48 percent decrease in unreported data.
Four of the nine expenditure groups—$100K–$199K, $200K–$399K, $1M–$4.9M, and $10M–$29.9M—account for increases in the number of libraries rated in this 2012 edition. The other five groups had minor decreases in counts primarily owing to disqualifications for unreported data, service area populations dipping below 1000, or changes in expenditures that moved some libraries to different peer comparison groups. In the $30M+ group, for instance, expenditure decreases in 2010 caused three libraries to be reclassified into the $10M–$29.9M group.
Changes in mind
Speaking of year-to-year changes, it is important to be mindful of the potential volatility of annual ratings of any type, including ratings of libraries, colleges and universities, hospitals, and cities. In the LJ Index expenditure categories, new entrants in one group might make comparisons more or less competitive than in prior years. So, there can sometimes be a disconnect between an increase or decrease in a library’s data reported and its final LJI score. This is why it is essential to tread cautiously when interpreting a library’s LJI rating from one year to the next.
Readers may recall that, in any given edition of the ratings, each library’s output statistics are compared to the average (mean) values for those statistics in the expenditure group to which the library belongs. The more above-average a library’s data are, the higher the chances the library will earn a Star rating. The table below gives the mean values for the four LJI measures for this 2012 edition and the next gives library counts across the editions, while the third table gives mean LJI values for all five LJ editions.
Mean Values of LJ Index Measures November 2012 Ratings
Expenditure Category Circ Per Capita (Mean) Visits Per Capita (Mean) Program Attendance Per Capita (Mean) Pub Internet Computer Use Per Capita (Mean)
LJI Edition 2012 2012 2012 2012
IMLS Data Year 2010 2010 2010 2010
$10,000-$49,999 4.99 3.77 0.352 1.09
$50,000-$99,999 7.54 5.40 0.467 1.47
$100,000-$199,999 8.38 5.99 0.465 1.44
$200,000-$399,999 8.59 6.58 0.502 1.46
$400,000-$999,999 9.79 7.49 0.515 1.53
$1,000,000-$4,999,999 10.76 7.24 0.474 1.55
$5,000,000-$9,999,999 12.00 6.75 0.399 1.69
$10,000,000-$29,999,999 12.01 6.52 0.330 1.54
$30,000,000 + 11.08 5.95 0.262 1.32
US Public Libraries with LJ Index Scores by LJ Index and IMLS Data Year
Total Libraries Rated 7570 7513 7407 7268 7115
Expenditure Category Library Count
LJI Edition 2012 2011 2010 Fall 2009 Spring 2009
IMLS Data Year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
$10,000-$49,999 945 953 1036 1015 1088
$50,000-$99,999 1126 1145 1128 1152 1115
$100,000-$199,999 1258 1236 1204 1191 1173
$200,000-$399,999 1170 1129 1087 1113 1089
$400,000-$999,999 1373 1377 1333 1278 1247
$1,000,000-$4,999,999 1349 1307 1282 1209 1125
$5,000,000-$9,999,999 191 211 186 176 159
$10,000,000-$29,999,999 114 107 106 98 88
$30,000,000 + 44 48 45 36 31
Mean Values of LJ Index Measures, All Five Editions
Expenditure Category Circ Per Capita (Mean)
LJI Edition 2012 2011 2010 Fall 2009 Spring 2009
IMLS Data Year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
$10,000-$49,999 4.99 4.99 4.99 5.32 5.52
$50,000-$99,999 7.54 7.69 7.51 7.53 7.41
$100,000-$199,999 8.38 8.29 8.15 7.82 7.83
$200,000-$399,999 8.59 8.63 8.13 8.08 8.19
$400,000-$999,999 9.79 9.59 9.28 9.07 9.08
$1,000,000-$4,999,999 10.76 10.58 10.08 9.83 9.69
$5,000,000-$9,999,999 12 11.88 11.19 10.84 10.68
$10,000,000-$29,999,999 12.01 11.92 10.98 10.49 10.1
$30,000,000 + 11.08 10.96 10.51 9 8.51
Expenditure Category Visits Per Capita (Mean)
LJI Edition 2012 2011 2010 Fall 2009 Spring 2009
IMLS Data Year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
$10,000-$49,999 3.77 3.81 3.77 3.88 3.9
$50,000-$99,999 5.4 5.45 5.41 5.31 5.22
$100,000-$199,999 5.99 5.78 5.65 5.54 5.33
$200,000-$399,999 6.58 6.63 6.33 6.26 6.16
$400,000-$999,999 7.49 7.33 7.12 6.84 6.85
$1,000,000-$4,999,999 7.24 7.38 7.02 6.82 6.77
$5,000,000-$9,999,999 6.75 7.02 6.66 6.62 6.72
$10,000,000-$29,999,999 6.52 6.62 6.15 5.94 5.78
$30,000,000 + 5.95 6.04 5.84 5.28 5.12
Expenditure Category Program Attendance per Capita (Mean)
LJI Edition 2012 2011 2010 Fall 2009 Spring 2009
IMLS Data Year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
$10,000-$49,999 0.352 0.331 0.324 0.335 0.344
$50,000-$99,999 0.467 0.478 0.475 0.46 0.453
$100,000-$199,999 0.465 0.45 0.448 0.437 0.436
$200,000-$399,999 0.502 0.489 0.472 0.447 0.447
$400,000-$999,999 0.515 0.501 0.473 0.452 0.434
$1,000,000-$4,999,999 0.474 0.461 0.443 0.411 0.394
$5,000,000-$9,999,999 0.399 0.387 0.378 0.377 0.361
$10,000,000-$29,999,999 0.33 0.339 0.314 0.285 0.278
$30,000,000 + 0.262 0.282 0.288 0.269 0.264
Expenditure Category Public Internet Computer Use per Capita (Mean)
LJI Edition 2012 2011 2010 Fall 2009 Spring 2009
IMLS Data Year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
$10,000-$49,999 1.09 1.1 1.09 1.07 0.99
$50,000-$99,999 1.47 1.48 1.45 1.38 1.26
$100,000-$199,999 1.44 1.43 1.37 1.31 1.22
$200,000-$399,999 1.46 1.45 1.38 1.31 1.28
$400,000-$999,999 1.53 1.51 1.47 1.45 1.44
$1,000,000-$4,999,999 1.55 1.53 1.48 1.5 1.53
$5,000,000-$9,999,999 1.69 1.72 1.69 1.65 1.75
$10,000,000-$29,999,999 1.54 1.61 1.61 1.64 1.51
$30,000,000 + 1.32 1.33 1.32 1.59 1.18
About Ray Lyons & Keith Curry Lance
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