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News Release2000-01 The Third Annual National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report Now AvailableOttawa, January 4, 2000 -- The third National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report, has just been made available by the National Library of Canada (NLC). The report covers the year 1996. Statistics compiled by the National Library of Canada and Canada's leading library associations indicate that as many as 100 million information transactions take place each year in Canada's public, academic and special libraries. The survey shows that libraries provide impressive cultural and economic benefits to the people of Canada, while revealing that library expenditures could total close to four billion dollars annually. The report, based on survey results and entitled National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report, 1996: Cultural and Economic Impact on Canadian Society of Public, Academic, and Special Libraries, is compiled by Dr. Alvin M. Schrader and Michael R. Brundin of the University of Alberta's School of Library and Information Studies. Participating libraries provided data indicating that 30 million inquiries were made by their users, leading to estimates of up to 100 million inquiries for Canada's 10 000 public, academic and special libraries (those located in businesses, government offices, professional firms and health care facilities) in 1996. Such transactions include requests for information on government services and programs, use of the Internet, and topics related to family health, literacy and economic development. The libraries surveyed reported loans of 276 million publications in print, electronic and other media, and the report estimates on-site use of as many as 140 million additional items, for an overall average of more than one million items being used daily in the 1 643 reporting libraries. This is the third year that the statistics have been gathered under this program, and they show that patterns of library use and resources have not changed appreciably since 1994. The National Core Library Statistics Program is a national program to develop profiles of libraries in Canada, providing a new foundation and welcome resource for planning, social policy development and advocacy. The Program's report will be of value to librarians and library policy makers, publishers and vendors, authors, educators, government officials and social policy analysts in understanding the significant contribution that Canadian libraries make to social progress and economic growth every day, everywhere across the country. The National Core Library Statistics Program is coordinated by the NLC in partnership with the Canadian Library Association (CLA), the Association pour l'avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED), Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), Council of Administrators of Large Urban Public Libraries (CALUPL), Provincial and Territorial Library Directors Council (PTLDC) and several other library associations. The National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report is available from Marketing and Publishing, National Library of Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4 CANADA. It can also be found on the National Library of Canada's Web site at National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report [PDF 633 KB] (English version) and National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report [PDF 717 KB] (French version). - 30 - For more information, contact Ralph W. Manning Media Contact: Line Parent |