Home | Services | Services for California Public Libraries | California Public Library Statistics | California Public Library Survey Instructions 2023-2024 | Section 2: Population and Outlets

Section 2: Population and Outlets

Population

2.1 Population of Legal Service Area

 (This figure is pre-filled by CSL) Figure is based upon the California Dept. of Finance, Demographic Research Unit E-1 report issued each May 1st. Adjustments are made if necessary by CSL staff to reflect the boundary of each library service area.

2.2 Registered Users as of June 30

A registered user is a library user who has applied for and received an identification number or card from the public library that has established conditions under which the user may borrow library materials and gain access to other library resources.

Note: For the purposes of reporting this data element, files should have been purged within the past three (3) years. (Report the number of cardholders who have used their card in the past three years.)

Note: Do not include digital access cards such as those provided by Overdrive or other vendors that allow access to materials without a library card and are not integrated into the library’s ILS.

2.3 Children Borrowers

Number of children registered with the library for circulation and other services, as of June 30 of the Report Year. Report individual rather than household registration. Files should have been purged at least once within the last three years. Children borrowers are those who receive a child/youth library card. Specific age can vary by library system.

Outlets

2.4 Main (Central) Library

If jurisdiction has a central or main library open for public service, enter “1”. Do not report administrative headquarters if not open for public library service. If there is no central or main library then enter “0” (zero).

2.5 Number of Branch Libraries

A branch library is an auxiliary unit of an administrative entity which has at least all of the following:

Note: if there are branches in your library that do not meet these criteria, please contact the State Data Coordinator, as they will need to be recoded when we report data to IMLS.

2.6 Number of Bookmobiles

A traveling branch library. A bookmobile consists of at least all of the following:

• A Truck or van that carries an organized collection of library materials
• Paid staff
• Regularly scheduled hours for being open to the public

Enter number of vehicles in public service, not number of stops made. Do not include non-public delivery vehicles or other library vehicles. Do not report other mobile library outreach vehicles, such as bikes or trucks, that do not go out on a set schedule to set stops. Report these in item 2.8.

2.7 Total # of Outlets

This item is automatically totaled.

2.8 Number of other mobile library outreach vehicles and other structures

Examples include “pop-up libraries,” book bikes, vans, trucks, or carts that do not go out on a set schedule to set stops or are not staffed.

2.9 Number of kiosks

A point of service maintained outside of an administrative entity or branch library that provides Internet connectivity and has electronic equipment or other material physically available to provide access to library resources including the library catalog or patron accounts.

The kiosk may be within another structure or stand alone, and it may be temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent. Kiosks must be placed such that all members of the community may approach it without cost.

A selection of books or other physical material placed in a facility by the library which is unstaffed and there are no other services provided shall not be considered a kiosk.

2.10 Total Square Footage

This item is automatically totaled from entries of square footage in the outlets section (Section 10).

2.11 Designated support for emergency operations?

Is the library jurisdiction designated by local government as a supporting department in emergency operations?

2.12 Do you have a new bookmobile or branch to report?

Answer “yes” if you opened a new branch for public service or launched a new bookmobile (that meets the definition of a bookmobile) at any point between July 1 and June 30th.

2.13 If yes, please describe

Provide new physical address, name of the branch/bookmobile, and email LibraryStatistics@library.ca.gov to notify us of the change so we can add it to your form in LibPAS.