[Library_members] Kansas' Answer to the Hennen Index

[Paul Hawkins]

Every fall, many public librarians await the release of the Hennen
Index, which ranks public libraries nationwide based on data such as
expenditures per capita and circulation per capita.  In an effort to
provide a more accurate assessment of library quality, McPherson Public
Library Director Steve Read developed the Kansas Public Library
Rankings.

 

Read structured the Kansas Public Library Rankings to include
measurements omitted form the Hennen Index, such as children's
programming attendance, facility size, and interlibrary loan activity.
He also eliminated data elements which many considered to be redundant
and made significant other changes.  Read's index rates Kansas public
libraries using twelve data elements, half of which reflect library
resources and half reflect usage.  Some of the measures which comprise
the rankings for each public library include:  collection items per
capita, annual hours open per capita, circulation per capita, and visits
per capita.

 

"The 325 public libraries in Kansas work hard at serving diverse
populations from under 50 people to almost over 375,000," commented
Read.  "If someone has to rate them, then I want that system to be as
fair and accurate as possible."  

 

The data source for the Kansas Public Library Rankings is the annual
state reports for Kansas public libraries that are compiled in the
National Center for Education Statistics-Public Libraries Survey.

 

Read sees the KPLR as a vehicle for libraries seeking to improve their
funding or services.  "I hope that library boards and library staff can
use these rankings to identify successes as well as highlight areas for
improvement."  

 

To view the Kansas Public Library Rankings for your local public
library, go to:

http://www.sckls.info/rankings.htm

 

 

 

 

----

Paul Hawkins - Director

South Central Kansas Library System

321A North Main Street

South Hutchinson, KS 67505

 

800-234-0529, ext. 113

620-663-3211, ext 113

 

Fax: 620-663-9797

 

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