IMLS has recently updated the Compare Public Libraries and
Search for Public Libraries tools with FY 2013 data. If you are looking for Nebraska library data, the best place is on the NLC website, in the data services section. Those
statistical reports are available back to 1999. However, you might think that the Compare tool is a bit less relevant because it has FY 2013 data instead of the FY2014 Nebraska data. Keep in mind that IMLS has different groups of states that have different public library survey submission dates (so that all 50 states – plus U.S. territories) aren’t being submitted at the same time. The Compare tool is a great tool. It is easy to learn how to use and navigate just by operating it. One thing of importance is that this tool is valuable to identify your national peers. The Compare tool allows you to generate a report based on the factors reported in the survey, but one important one is the legal service population (LSA) of your library. To do this, first begin your search by finding your library. Next, click on “Choose Similar Libraries (Comparison Group) by Variable”. You can select any variable, but if you want LSA, click on the + sign next to Organizational Characteristics, then Population of Legal Service Area. I like Method 1, which defaults to 20%, but depending on your library a more realistic percentage is 5% or 3%. The Compare tool will then tell you how many libraries are in your comparison group. You can either add another variable, or if you just want the data for those libraries, click on Continue. On the next screen, expand each category you want data for (or you can select all of them). You can then look at the data from the libraries in your comparison group, or export it to an excel file from the link at the top. Shaka.
IMLS has recently updated the Compare Public Libraries and Search for Public Libraries tools with FY 2013 data. If you are looking for Nebraska library data, the best place is on the NLC website, in the data services section. Those statistical reports are available back to 1999. However, you might think that the Compare tool is a bit less relevant because it has FY 2013 data instead of the FY2014 Nebraska data. Keep in mind that IMLS has different groups of states that have different public library survey submission dates (so that all 50 states – plus U.S. territories) aren’t being submitted at the same time. The Compare tool is a great tool. It is easy to learn how to use and navigate just by operating it. One thing of importance is that this tool is valuable to identify your national peers. The Compare tool allows you to generate a report based on the factors reported in the survey, but one important one is the legal service population (LSA) of your library. To do this, first begin your search by finding your library. Next, click on “Choose Similar Libraries (Comparison Group) by Variable”. You can select any variable, but if you want LSA, click on the + sign next to Organizational Characteristics, then Population of Legal Service Area. I like Method 1, which defaults to 20%, but depending on your library a more realistic percentage is 5% or 3%. The Compare tool will then tell you how many libraries are in your comparison group. You can either add another variable, or if you just want the data for those libraries, click on Continue. On the next screen, expand each category you want data for (or you can select all of them). You can then look at the data from the libraries in your comparison group, or export it to an excel file from the link at the top. Shaka. 
