Author name: Melissa Higgins
May 2016
One of the strongest values of libraries of all types is that of lifelong learning. Pew Research Center’s new study of personal and professional attitudes about learning reveals some significant trends about how American adults pursue their interests. Nearly three-fourths (73%) of U.S. adults consider themselves lifelong learners in some sense, with 74% identifying as […]
April 2016
School Library Journal recently reported on the newest statewide study on the impact of school libraries for student success, commissioned by the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL). While this now marks more than a dozen states that have conducted studies showing a link between school library programs and student achievement, this study was […]
March 2016
According to Library Journal’s latest budget survey, U.S. public libraries continue to recover from the recession, but the pace of that that recovery may be slowing somewhat. Of the 371 libraries that responded to the survey, nearly three-quarters (74%) reported an increase in operating budgets between 2014 and 2015, which is equivalent to the 73% […]
March 2016
LibraryJobline, LRS’s website for library job postings and resources, saw its best year yet in 2015 in terms of jobs that were posted. In the latest Fast Facts Report, 656 total job postings were added to LibraryJobline last year, which is almost three times the number of job postings in LibaryJobline’s slowest year, 2009. More […]
February 2016
EBSCO has released an infographic that illustrates their findings from a 2015 survey of 208 students about how college students conduct research. The survey focused on general research trends, how students start research, as well as the research experience. The results indicate that while students are largely receiving library instruction and using library resources, they […]
February 2016
The Community College Research Center conducts research on a wide variety of issues affecting two-year colleges nationwide. As a route to higher education for well over a third (40%) of undergraduates in the U.S., community colleges are for many an important gateway to improved opportunities and earning potential. Their current research about student completion and […]
February 2016
Many industries, libraries included, are trying to find ways to increase and promote diversity, but as it turns out the source of much of our information may also have natural bias. In 2015 Lee & Low Books conducted a Diversity Baseline Survey in order to better assess what diversity existed in the book review and […]
January 2016
We know now that strong information literacy skills are very important in both the academic and work environments. In a new study published in College & Research Libraries, Victoria Raish and Emily Rimlaud seek, through a nation-wide survey of employers, to find out employers’ perceptions of critical information skills and their potential acceptance of a […]
December 2015
The results are in for the 2014 Colorado Talking Book Library (CTBL) Patron Satisfaction Survey, which seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the library and overall satisfaction with its services. Highlights from the survey are detailed in our new Fast Facts report and previously published Closer Look report. CTBL provides free library services, including recorded books, […]
December 2015
As the variety of program topics increases in public libraries, financial literacy training has emerged as a common topic in many libraries, especially since the recession. Financial literacy training seeks to educate and provide strategies about how to manage one’s money and prepare for financial planning. Yet Library Journal’s 2015 Financial Literacy Survey suggests that […]