[OPLINLIST] New questions for the 2020 Public Library Report

Fri May 1 12:45:02 EDT 2020

The State Library of Ohio will be adding several new questions to the 2020 Public Library Report (collected in early 2021) related to the COVID-19 pandemic and how Ohio's libraries responded and continued to serve their patrons during this crisis. This list will likely evolve with input from the library community and as things continue to change in the state.

Please note, these questions and definitions only apply to the 2020 Public Library Report. If you have not completed your 2019 Public Library Report, the absolute last day to do so will be May 31, 2020.

  *   Date of COVID-19 Closure:  This is the date the library ceased normal physical operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Services such as curbside pickup may have been offered after this official date of closure. If patrons are not allowed in the building, the building is closed even if staff are providing services.

  *   Date of COVID-19 Reopening: This is the date the library resumed normal physical operations after COVID-19 closures. This is the date patrons were able to enter the library again after the library building had been closed. Curbside pickup and other services may have been available prior to this official date of reopening.

  *   Virtual Programs Offered: A virtual program (a single live event on a single day) is any library planned event which introduces the group attending to any of the broad range of library services or activities or which directly provide information to online participants, where the audience will view the content virtually as it is created (Live). Virtual Programs may cover use of the library, library services, or library tours. Programs may also provide cultural, recreational, or educational information, often designed to meet a specific social need.
     *   Count all virtual programs, hosted and performed by the library. If virtual programs are offered as a series, count each program in the series. For example, a reoccurring storytime series on Facebook offered once a week for 4 weeks should be counted as four virtual programs. The live audience attending this program should be reported as attendees.

  *   Virtual Program Attendance: The number of attendees at a virtual program (a virtual program being defined as a live single event on a single day). Count only the participants watching the program as it airs (Live Audience). Do not count views of the program after the offered program has concluded (i.e. recordings) for inclusion in this category.
     *   Views on Facebook Live: It's safe to assume that in many cases, like early childhood programming, one or more individuals will be viewing a screen together. One screen will register on the FB attendance count as one view. For the 2020 Ohio public library survey, count one view as one program attendee UNLESS you can document multiple attendees. Specifically, if you ask attendees to comment with how many people are viewing the content, you can then add the additional numbers you receive to the number of live views. So if a patron comments that two people are viewing from one device, you'd add +1 to the live viewer number.
     *   Also about views on Facebook Live: FB will register a view even if someone only watches for a few minutes and doesn't view the entire program. That is OK. You can count as an attendee someone who attends part of a traditional program, and you can do the same with online programs. Please use the longest interval (I've heard both 30 seconds and one minute are sometimes available) to count attendees, not five or 10 seconds.
     *   Live moderated discussions (such as book discussion groups on FB/Twitter): if led by a library staff member, you may count it as a program and count the number of unique commenters as attendees while the program was happening live.

  *   Library Created Virtual Program Recorded Views: Report the number of views of library created virtual content such as programming intended for live audiences and then archived for future viewing. Only report data for programming created and produced by the library. Do not include live views in this count. The number of views of recorded programs will not count towards your programming total that goes to IMLS, but it will be valuable in showing the state, local government and your patrons the additional services the library provided.

  *   Did your library provide Wi-Fi access during the COVID-19 closure period? Yes/No: Did your Wi-Fi signal remain active and available for use either with or without the need for login information (such as a library card), during the period the library implemented COVID-19 services?

Other Potential Questions for the 2020 Public Library Report:

  *   Staffing-furloughs (paid and unpaid) layoffs, and other reductions
  *   Additional questions on services offered (possibly a text box)

If you would like additional information or have questions, please contact Kirstin Krumsee<mailto:kkrumsee at library.ohio.gov>.

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Marsha McDevitt-Stredney, Ph.D.
Public Information Officer
Director, Marketing & Communications
State Library of Ohio
274 E. 1st Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201
Tel: 614-644-6875
library.ohio.gov<http://library.ohio.gov/>

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