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Rating Methods

Population Factors    

More detail on HAPLR Index Methodology.

Nationwide public library statistics are collected and disseminated annually through the Federal-State Cooperative System for public library data (FSCS). Statistics are collected from nearly 9,000 public libraries.  The FSCS web site is at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/getpubcats.asp?sid=041#052

The HAPLR Index includes 15 factors. The focus is on circulation, staffing, materials, reference service, and funding levels. The Index does not include data on audio and video collections, or interlibrary loan, among other items that could have been calculated from the FSCS data. Perhaps most prominently absent from the data are any measures of electronic use or Internet service. While such measures would have been desirable, the FSCS data simply are simply not sufficient for such comparisons at this time. Internet, electronic services and audiovisual services are excluded because there is simply not enough data reported by enough libraries to make comparisons meaningful. What remains are fairly traditional data for print services, book checkouts, reference service, funding and staffing. It is likely that in the future, additional measures can be added to the FSCS data to begin to evaluate such other library services as Internet use, electronic services, and non-print services. The FSCS data have only been collected on a consistent national basis since 1981. Since then the data have been refined to be more consistent and to include more information. That trend is likely to accelerate, making the additional comparisons possible soon.

Weighting the Factors