The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to announce the early release of data on state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state fiscal year (FY) 2007. The data were collected through the State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey, a voluntary survey conducted annually by IMLS. The FY 2007 StLA Survey is the 14th in the series.
“These data files provide valuable information on the vast array of community services provided by State Library Agencies in the United States. Policymakers, practitioners, data users, and library patrons will find this information particularly useful,” said Mamie Bittner, Deputy Director of IMLS’s Office of Policy, Planning, Research, and Communications.
The FY 2007 survey collected data on 278 items, including state library agency identification, governance, public service hours, service outlets, collections, library service transactions, library development transactions, services to other libraries in the state, allied operations, staff, revenue, expenditures, and electronic services and information.
The survey’s 100 percent response rate results from the cooperative effort between the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), IMLS, and the Census Bureau.
A complete national picture of library service is captured through:
* data collected on state library agency services to public, academic, school, and special libraries, and library cooperatives,
* data collected through the National Center for Education Statistics survey of academic and school libraries and,
* IMLS's survey of public libraries.