Public library statistics
This ministry maintains statistics on public libraries in Ontario, using data from the Annual Survey of Public Libraries. These statistics cover holdings, library use and many other subjects. It publishes these statistics every year.
Most recent survey results
This information and copies of these results are for reference purposes only.
Survey results from previous years
- 2009 Statistics
- 2008 Statistics
- 2007 Statistics
- 2006 Statistics
- 2005 Statistics
- 2004 Statistics
- 2003 Statistics
- 2002 Statistics
- 2001 Statistics
- 2000 Statistics
- 1999 Statistics
Deadlines, requirements and forms for the next (2011) annual and typical week surveys
All libraries and organizations that contract for library service with Internet access are required to e-file their annual surveys and their typical week surveys. The target date for 2011 is June 30, 2012.
We ask public libraries to measure specific activity measures for each library service point during a typical week in November. A typical week is a week with no holidays. They record measures such as circulation, in-library materials use, use of electronic information resources, reference inquiries, and visits to the library (both walk-in and electronic). More detailed information, including instructions for libraries about how to interpret and fill out the survey form, is in the survey form document. We use this information to assess the total use of libraries and materials for the year. The library uses this information to compile information for that year's Annual Survey of Public Libraries.
We send information on e-filing and survey deadlines in the annual survey letters we send to libraries and contracting municipalities, local services boards and First Nations Bands.
Information and annual survey of public libraries 2011 forms
Annual survey for municipalities, Local Services Boards and First Nations Bands that contract for library service
2011 Typical Week Survey Form
How the data is collected
The data for the statistics is taken from that year's Annual Survey of Public Libraries submitted by Ontario public libraries, and municipalities, local services boards and First Nations Bands that contract with library boards for library service. The reports' validity depends upon the accuracy of the data submitted.
Population and household figures in these reports are extracted from three sources:
- For Municipalities: Population data from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's Financial Information Returns, augmented if necessary by Enumerated population and household counts submitted by municipalities to the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario late published in the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario's Ontario Municipal Directory.
- For Local Services Boards: The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry provides population data.
- For First Nations Bands: The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development provides population figures for First Nations libraries.
Provincial operating funding reported includes pay equity funding and excludes project funding.
To standardize statistical measures and increase the accuracy of key ratios, revisions have been made to formulas in the annual statistics since 2000:
- Starting in 2004, the count of library uses by this ministry's annual statistics and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's performance measures program was standardized to include annual circulation and program attendance. It also annualized typical week data pertaining to in library materials use, electronic information resource use (number of people using library workstations and times that electronic databases are accessed), standard and electronic reference transactions, and visits to the library made electronically and in person.
- To ensure consistency, a standard of 35 hours for a Full Time Equivalent position is used for all personnel calculations. Prior to the 2000 statistical year, there was no specific standard number of hours used to calculate the number of library staff in Full Time Equivalents.
- To ensure more accurate representation of per capita service levels for libraries serving residents outside of their geographic jurisdiction, the survey includes contracting population counts in data reported for libraries that provide service to residents of contracting communities. Where a municipality, First Nation Band or local services board contracts for service with two or more public library boards, the population of the contracting organization is allocated among the library boards that provide library service. The allocated population is based upon the percentage of the total contracting expenditure that each contract represents. For example, if municipality X contracts for service with two library boards, paying Library A $70,000, and Library B $30,000, then Library A would be allocated 70% of municipality X's population, and Library B would be allocated 30%. Prior to the 2000 statistical year, per capita service levels may have been misrepresented for libraries serving residents outside of their geographic jurisdiction (i.e. libraries that provide services to contracting municipalities, local services boards and First Nation Bands).
- Beginning in 2000, "active cardholders" was defined as those who used their library card in the past two years. All libraries are now required to provide this data. Prior to the 2000 statistical year, libraries were not required to report the number of "active" library cardholders.
