For the last two data cycles, we have hoped to be able to add Wi-Fi sessions to the five existing per capita statistics: circulation, e-circulation, library visits, program attendance, and public Internet computer uses. Unfortunately, that was again not possible this year, because the percentage of responding libraries who reported  this statistic again fell below IMLS’s response rate standard of 80%, despite substantial improvements in reporting.

For FY16, the data year on which the 2018 LJ Index is based, all of the expenditure categories for libraries spending over $100,000 annually either met, or were within less than one percentage point of meeting, the 80% standard. For the two lowest expenditure categories—libraries spending less than $100,000 and less than $50,000 annually—only about three-quarters of libraries reported their Wi-Fi sessions.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES REPORTING WI-FI SESSIONS BY STATE, FY16

There are also significant differences in response rate for Wi-Fi sessions by state.

For the FY16 data year, 100% response rates were achieved by the District of Columbia and ten states: ­Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Texas, and West Virginia.

Response rates exceeding 80% reporting but falling below 100% were achieved by 16 states—in descending order by response rate: Ohio, South Carolina, Michigan, Missouri, Alaska, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Idaho, North Dakota, Maryland, Indiana, South Dakota, Alabama, Colorado, and Minnesota.

States with Wi-Fi response rates between 50% and 80% are Oklahoma, New Jersey, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico, Tennessee, Utah, Florida, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Virginia, California, Montana, Kansas, Iowa, North Carolina, Illinois, and New Hampshire.

Washington, Maine, and Connecticut have Wi-Fi response rates below 50%.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES REPORTING WI-FI SESSIONS BY EXPENDITURE CATEGORY, FY16

To Access STAR Libraries 2018 Home page - click here

Keith Curry Lance (keithlance@comcast.net) is an independent consultant based in suburban Denver. He also consults with the Colorado-based RSL Research Group. In both capacities, he conducts research on libraries of all types for state library agencies, state library associations, and other library-related organizations. For more information, visit www.KeithCurryLance.com