Missing Data:
These data have been reviewed and edited at the state and national levels, and verified as correct by each state’s data coordinator. There have been no imputations for non-response, so some data may be missing, indicated as “N/A.” This can result in some libraries not being selected for comparison groups. Imputation is a statistical means for providing a valid value for missing data.

Confidentiality and removal of expenditures data:
Because public use data must protect the confidentiality of respondents, changes have been made in the file used by this tool. For libraries where Total Staff is less than or equal to 2.00 FTE, the expenditures data shown below for those public libraries have been removed, indicated as “D/S:”

• Salaries and Wages Expenditures
• Employee Benefits
• Total Staff Expenditures
• Total Staff Expenditures per Capita
• Staff Expenditures as Percent of Total Operating Expenditures
• Other Operating Expenditures

Thirty-nine percent of public libraries have had data removed for these variables. Therefore, exercise caution in using state or national averages for the above variables.

Changes after Fiscal Year 2005 will be updated in subsequent annual surveys. If information has changed please do not contact NCES. Instead contact the State Data Coordinator (95 KB) for the state where the library is located.