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Compare Public Libraries
Select Library of Interest > Choose Comparison Group > Select Report Topics > View Report
About Compare Public Libraries
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Compare Public Libraries allows users to compare one library (the library of interest) with similar libraries (the comparison group). For example, a user may wish to compare one library's total circulation with the total circulation of a group of libraries with similar total expenditures.

The steps involved in using Compare Public Libraries are:

  1. Select the library of interest for which you want to find a comparison group.
  2. Choose the basis for identifying similar libraries (the “Comparison Group”): e.g. size of staff.
  3. Choose the information you would like displayed in the report.
  4. View the report, which compares your library of interest with its comparison group.

Comparison groups are explained in more detail in an NCES publication "How Does Your Public Library Compare? Service Performance of Peer Groups", by Keri Bassman.

 
  • About The Data In Compare Public Libraries
  • About the Public Libraries Survey

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