The Dude has been busy reviewing all your public library surveys and trying his best to answer your questions about what to report where (sometimes it’s a judgment call), but took a bit of time to throw together this little technology tidbit. Keep the surveys coming, as the response rate is roughly 50% at the moment, and the deadline is Friday the 13^th of February. One more item of note before heading to the stats, and that is, please let me know about any suggestions for next year’s survey (and keep in mind that getting rid of it altogether is not an option). Some of you have already sent suggestions, and I have ideas of my own, but I’d certainly like to hear your thoughts.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, More than 21% of Nebraskans do not have access to high speed internet (a paid internet service other than dial-up) at home. This is close to the national average (about 22%), and thus underlies the importance of public offerings for technology services (such as libraries). The leader is New Hampshire, with almost 86% of its residents living in a household with high speed internet, and just over 93% in a household with a computer. These numbers do not address the FCC’s recent redefinition of what constitutes “broadband” (and by implication “high speed”), as the FCC now labels broadband as anything more than 25 Mbps.

According to the 2013 public library survey (last year’s survey), Nebraska libraries provide:

• Free public internet access (99% of libraries with 2.2 Million annual uses)
• Free WiFi (94% of libraries)

Even if, or rather, when, improvements are made to services and pricing so that high speed or broadband becomes more prevalent in more households (and hopefully the FCC’s redefinition expedites that), there will still be the need to address the digital literacy of the users. Just because I got the new dual motor, AWD, 691 hp, 3.2 seconds to 60 mph, all electric, zero emissions Tesla Model S P85D doesn’t mean I know how to drive it well. The Dude would have the patience to try and learn, however, if given the opportunity. OK, perhaps comparing the Tesla Model S P85D to 25 Mbps broadband isn’t an apt analogy, but the point is that even with increased speed and access, there will be a need for assistance navigating the waters, and that’s where libraries and librarians have the opportunity to excel. To further illustrate, last year’s Digital Inclusion Survey noted that Nebraska libraries also provided:

• Online employment resources (98% of libraries)
• Computer training (97% of libraries)
• Assistance with completing government forms online (98% of libraries)

Shaka.

This week, in between answering public library survey related questions and reviewing actual surveys that have been submitted (the deadline is February 13, 2015), the Dude has been thinking about this new element on the survey asking for the number of annual wireless internet sessions. Some of the responses the Dude has been getting about collecting this data have been a thumbs down analogous to Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Commodus in the movie Gladiator or the verbal equivalent: “I ain’t collectin’ this”. In all fairness, most are at least willing to provide a broad observation estimate of the use, which is probably a fairly decent number. Thank you for doing that. This makes me think about the question you might be asking, which is why is collecting this data valuable? Let’s start this odyssey by looking the importance of public WiFi.

Quite simply, public WiFi is valuable because if you don’t have a data enabled device, you can’t get online if you aren’t somewhere that has WiFi availability. And we all want to be online, or at least have the option. If you do have a data enabled device (such as a tablet or smart phone), most likely you don’t want to use up your data or pay extra unless it is absolutely necessary (like if you get lost and need to look up a map or directions; if you need to find an address or phone number in a pinch; if you want to order a pizza online while you are out at the lake and pick it up on the way home; or if you are at Home Depot and want to know if the price they are asking for that garden weasel is comparable to Lowe’s). Those kinds of things. Iconic Displays recently produced an infographic entitled “Is Wifi the New Cigarette?” detailing the importance of WiFi to the average person:

• 30% of people claim they can’t go without WiFi access for more than an hour
• 60% of people can’t go without WiFi access for more than a day
• 39% say they would give up coffee for WiFi access
• 43% say they would go without chocolate for WiFi
• 75% said that a week without WiFi would leave them grumpier than a week without coffee

So we like our WiFi (for some, more than our coffee and chocolate), and we’ve come to expect it in many places in addition to our homes. These include hotel rooms, restaurants (including coffee shops), airports (and even some airplanes), public parks, public libraries, and many others. As usual, the Dude feels a need to toss in some data about how our WiFi compares to the rest of the world. Predictably, it ain’t good. According to Rotten WiFi, the U.S. ranks a measly 20^th in the world with an average public WiFi download speed of 6.89. The U.S. was behind number 1 Lithuania (15.4 Mbps), Croatia (14.05), Estonia (13.75), and 16 others. The Dude could find no credible data on average WiFi speeds for libraries (either in Nebraska or the U.S.). Perhaps that would be the subject of a new data element on the survey…

Focus. Back on track with the value of collecting this data. As illustrated above, it’s important to have places in the community that have free WiFi that we can use. If we are traveling and just passing through or stay somewhere that doesn’t have WiFi, it’s nice to have the option to go to our public library and use our own WiFi enabled devices because if we have our own device, we don’t need to wait for a public access terminal. We can also sit on the library’s sofa, or near the library’s fireplace (if they have one), or outside (if the weather is nice) instead of on those public access chairs. Also, many rural communities do not have many areas where free public WiFi is available (other than the library), and many do not have access in their homes. So, the gathering of this data is, like other data gathering, important in that it demonstrates that libraries are providing a service to their community that is valuable.

One final note and that is that some libraries are also getting into the business of loaning WiFi devices to library card holders so they can use them in their own homes. An example is the New York Public Library, which recently scored $1 million from Google and $500,000 from the Knight Foundation. The devices (4G LTE mobile hot spots) are in high demand, and may be checked out for a longer duration (like, months). This is another example of libraries reaching out to meet the technology needs of the community. In NY, over 2 million people don’t have access to broadband or WiFi at home, so these kinds of services not only introduce those library users to WiFi, but provide valuable connectivity for those who simply can’t afford it. Shaka.

­­The Data Dude recently attended the SDC (State Data Coordinator) conference in Louisville, KY. The Dude votes thumbs up on the conference sessions, the city of Louisville (its all about horses and bourbon), and the invaluable time spent with colleagues from other states. The Dude votes thumbs down on flight delays and the anxiety producing craziness of the typical airport. The purpose in writing today is to explore what data elements are important to you, the actual people that capture and record these statistics on the annual public library survey (affectionately known to many as the “Bibliostat One” and unaffectionately known as many other things).  Are there statistics you are collecting that you think might be important on a state or national level? Please let me know, or even let me know some general ideas or thoughts you might be having, so they might be explored further or built upon. A few things were discussed at the SDC conference that are worth noting and might jog your ability to collaborate creatively. Number one: Virtual library visits. As physical visits may be declining, it probably is important to track virtual visitors to the library (e.g. visitors to the library website). Some states already collect this data. Does your library track this information? If so, does it underline the importance of your website, and perhaps more importantly, keeping it updated?

Secondly, how many of you use non-pc devices? The thing that immediately comes to mind would be the 3D printer; however, what about other non-pc devices such as tablet computers? I know many libraries make these available in lieu of the traditional PC. For those of you with tethered (or non-tethered) tablets, are you counting and reporting those now, or would this fit more appropriately under a separate data element called “non-pc devices”? With the recently concluded digital inclusion survey (Nebraska scored a stellar 64% response rate), how about broadband speed? I know of a few libraries that completed the speed test, looked at the low numbers and said, “wait a minute…”. They used this as a catalyst to talk to their ISP and found out they were getting the shaft (maybe intentionally, maybe not) when it came to what they were paying for. The point is that the DI Survey uncovered these gross injustices, and the librarians took action to remedy them. The question that remains is: Would actual speed reporting be beneficial, or are there simply too many variables in place to capture it accurately?

Furthermore, new library services that may be worth noting in data collection include self-directed education and local digital collections. Is there anything else on your list? I’ve already starting thinking about next year’s survey and perhaps some tools to help you with using the compiled data. Capturing uses of electronic resources continues to be problematic. There are numerous download services that libraries might subscribe to. If the library pays for it, and the virtual library visitor uses it, shouldn’t we somehow try to paint a picture of its use? Many of these things are currently lumped into the “database” bin and counted as boring ol’ “1”, simply because there is no other definition that they fit into. I wonder if instead of trying to write a definitino that captures all of these services, perhaps we should simply add a three part question to provide a more accurate portrayal: (1) Does your library subscribe to an electronic downloadable or streaming service; (2) if so, what is the name of the service; and (3) how many times does it get used in a year. The survey could provide a prompt to enter this information for each subscribed service and a separate element could do the calculations for the total uses of all downloadable services. Shaka.

For this week, let’s talk about mapping (there is now a mapping section on the data services portion of the NLC website). But first, a promise that this will be the last reminder for the Digital Inclusion Survey (except for maybe one final e-mail to you next week if you have not yet completed it). The deadline has been extended until December 12, 2014 and there are still Three Kindle Fire HD’s up for grabs if you complete the survey. Enter your contact information at the conclusion of the survey to be eligible for the drawing. Also, don’t forget to complete the speed test by going to www.speedtest.net from a public access terminal or laptop using the library Wi-Fi. Record the download speed, upload speed, and PING. Either enter the numbers into your survey, or e-mail them to me and I will enter the figures for you.

OK, on to the maps. Here at the Commission, a variety of mapping tools are used, including ZeeMaps, Google Fusion Tables, and Google Earth. Thanks to the help of Allana Novotny, things are looking up for understanding the complexities of these mapping tools. A word about collaboration: I mentioned Allana, and I think it’s safe to say had we not collaborated on these things, these maps either would not have gotten done or would not have had the same level of functionality. This has created a boost in my creative confidence  (and even analytical thought), and I’m grateful for that (thanks, Allana). On a similar note, if you look at the legislative map mentioned in the next paragraph and have suggestions, please let me know. While the Dude thinks his collaboration with Allana has been a good thing and produced some far out maps, there are other suggestions you might bring to the table, and that is always encouraged. Likewise, if you have ideas for an entirely different map illustration, please let the Dude know and he can possibly put something together for you. The Dude promises to at least try.

Anyway, the legislative map deserves a bit of explanation. The interactive map illustrates the legislative boundaries in the state and has markers for each public library. You can certainly zoom in to your district (or any other district for that matter) for a more detailed look. If you click on one of the districts (but not a marker), a pop-up should appear that tells you the district number, the senator, and a link to the senator’s website. This information is updated with the newly elected senators. Keep in mind that the corresponding webpages might not yet be updated with the new senator names and photos and other stuff, because that is done by the Legislature, not the Library Commission. The zoomable map is especially helpful in the Lincoln or Omaha areas. The Dude added the branch locations for Lincoln and Omaha libraries. If you click on the individual markers for each library, you get a pop-up that provides you with some basic information about the library, legislative district, senator, and a link to more information from the library profile on the NLC website. The markers are colored by service population, and you can filter those by checking or unchecking boxes on the legend at the bottom.  The Dude hopes the map might be helpful to you.

Now, for a hint of what the Dude might currently be pondering for data illustrations: The motion chart. The Dude mentions this because of an interest generated after watching the interesting TED Talk by Hans Rosling. If you have a chance to, check it out (if for no other reason, the entertainment value of Hans going nuts over his data illustration) and feel free to give the Dude some ideas on how such a motion chart could be generated for Nebraska Libraries, or what data might be good to illustrate. This is in the brainstorming stage at this point, so feel free to provide some collaboration, or perhaps just an idea. The Dude welcomes a distraction from all these surveys. Shaka.