For immediate release | July 12, 2010

2010 PLDS Report highlights key financial statistics

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CHICAGO – The Public Library Association’s (PLA) 2010 Public Library Data Service (PLDS) Statistical Report is now available for purchase. The report presents timely and topical data to assist public library administrators in making informed management decisions. Published annually since 1988, the PLDS Statistical Report is compiled from voluntary surveys submitted by public libraries across the United States and Canada. In the 2010 edition, 987 public libraries have shared their data on finances, library resources, annual use figures, technology and more.

The Statistical Report also features a special section on children’s services in public libraries. This section details populations, materials holdings, material expenditures and fines, annual counts, literacy programming, borrowing policy and technology in children’s departments throughout North America.

To make the data even more dynamic and effective, PLA is now offering access to the PLDS Online Database. A subscription to the PLDS Database provides unlimited Web access for one year to all data and reports currently available (2006-2010). Users can:
  • View PLDS Tables with searchable data exportable into Excel/CSV file formats and linked data from other report sections.
  • Access summary tables in interactive charts (breakdown by legal service area as well as by state and legal services within each state).
  • Create customized PLDS datasets with user-defined data, calculations, charts and other analysis that can be saved and exported into Excel/CSV file formats.
The PLDS subscription database is $250 for one year and can be ordered (PDF). The print publication, 225 pages - $120, can be ordered.

Contact:

Amy Sargent