This year’s State Data Coordinators Conference was held in the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jessica Otto, Wyoming State Library Data Coordinator and Research and Statistics Consultant, recently attended the annual State Data Coordinator’s Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
State Data Coordinators from across the United States and U.S. Territories are invited to attend this event each year to discuss the Public Library Survey, which is conducted annually. Common questions are agreed upon and included in each state’s survey, though states will often elect to add questions that will give them useful information about their particular state.
Although the conference was held in “The Big Easy,” state data coordinators from around the country worked hard to make sure the Public Library Survey gleans the necessary information in an effective way.
Attendees collaborate to reach consensus on the definitions of the terminology used in each survey question to ensure it is asking for the most useful information. They go over current and upcoming survey questions, making sure the questions are clear, concise, and asking for the correct data. Recent discussions centered on what comprises a “meeting room,” whether uses or reservations should be counted, and how cancelled reservations should be accounted for.
Jessica Otto, WSL Research and Statistics Consultant, had the opportunity to learn new information and provide valuable information about the Public Library Survey and network with data coordinators from other states while in the Mardi Gras City..
“The ‘meeting room’ conversations began during the first conference I attended in 2024,” said Jessica. “After getting input from different data coordinators, offering opportunities for asking clarifying questions, and reaching a consensus on the term ‘meeting spaces,’ questions regarding this crucial library service data will be added to the federal survey questions in a couple of years. It’s been satisfying to see the process in action and participate in the creation, revision, and fruition of a new question that will provide valuable information.”
Other topics discussed at the conference included strategies for increased survey participation and the return on investment of library services in various communities.
The goal of the survey is to get the right amount of information without an undue burden on the library professionals completing the survey.
“Data from our survey helps give a voice to our Wyoming libraries,” said Jessica. “The information from our survey helps tell the story of the great work our Wyoming libraries do and carries it to the federal level.”
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) offers the annual meeting each year to the State Library Administrative Agency data coordinators responsible for submitting the federal PLS data to the IMLS. The IMLS sponsors the cost of travel for one representative from each state and territory.