This document discusses the importance of measuring the impact and value of public libraries through data and metrics. It provides an overview of several impact studies that have been conducted in Ontario. The key lessons are that libraries need to improve how they communicate their value through data-driven stories and visuals to advocate for more funding and support. Standardized core metrics and tools are needed to help libraries easily demonstrate their economic and social impacts to decision-makers. The goal is to transform how libraries are perceived and funded through strategic measurement and communication of their value.

1. The Public Library Success Project: Lessons
for the Library Boards and Communities
Stephen Abram
Meaford Public Library
Feb. 26, 2019

3. https://www2.librarygovernance.ca/gov-hub

5. Overview Of Public Library Community Impact &
Value

6. Note
• These slides were created for FOPL by Stephen Abram based on the many economic and
social impact studies accomplished in the past two years, including:
• 2018 FOPL Data Metrics Reports (based on the Ontario Public Library Data Collection):
https://bit.ly/2DDewd8
• Market Probe Canada Report on Ontarians Attitudes about Public Libraries:
https://bit.ly/2RwC6Qi
• FOPL List of Ontario Impact Studies: https://bit.ly/2K0mu0z
• Nordicity’s BRIDGE Report on digital S-ROI/E-ROI: https://bit.ly/2z6bP08
• OPLA Teen Services Report: https://bit.ly/2RT5coz
• Algoma University/Nordik Institute Valuing Northern Libraries Reports:
https://bit.ly/2T0hHzE

7. Each of these Studies:
These studies were accomplished by independent consultants and
agencies:
• Nordicity Inc.
• Nordik Institute / Algoma University
• Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Business,
University of Toronto
• Market Probe Canada
• OISE Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
• Libraries Branch, Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport

8. Learning from others
GLAM – Galleries, Libraries, Archives, &
Museums

9. What resources did we
have
Me – 3 days a week
Plus volunteers
No money
But there’s more.

10. What’s the ‘Problem”?
• We have a very COMPLEX (not complicated) value proposition
• We have great competencies BUT we need to up our game on
influence, advocacy, and focus.
• We need the tools and we need to collaborate on them nimbly and
quickly.
• Proofs and Stories
• Role of the engaged community member as spokesperson
10

11. FOPL Talking Points
The Public Library value proposition is strong and includes (but isn’t
limited to):
o Excellent Return on Investment
o Strong Economic Development Impact
o Great Employment Support
o Welcoming New Canadians & Refugees
o Provable Early Literacy Development, school and college readiness
o Ongoing Support for Formal and Informal Education, Learning, and Homework Help
o Serve the whole community equitably with inclusionary strategies
o Affordable access to community resources
o Broad Digital Access to resources, Government Services and e-government
o Questions Deserve Quality Answers
o Support Cultural Vitality
o Recognized and Valued Leisure & Community Activities for majority of Ontarians
11

12. Becoming Strategic
• 4 Years Ago
• We analyzed what we would need to be successful
• To be honest – we had a lot but it was a MESS
• Who do we KNOW? Relationships
• What do we have? Data-Information-Insight
• How do we do this?
• Why invest in our sector? (from their perspective)
• How do we scale and build an army?
• Can we do this affordably? (BTW we’re poor!)

13. So we took a hard, honest look . . .
• Did we know our numbers?
• Can we prove our worth?
• Do we have the influencing skills we need?
• Whom can we enlist in our army?
• Can we develop the influencing skills we need?
• Do we have a relationship with our funders?
• Can we execute affordable, influential marketing communications at
scale that has positive impact?
• Can we measure success by changing public policy AND receiving
improved funding?
• Are our governance, partnership, and relationship executables
optimized?

14. What did we do?
• Scalable Influencing webinars
• Focused and upgraded our Professional Development game
(LearnHQ)
• Open Data Initiative, Real Measures and Trends, Data Analysis
• Visualization focus – The OMD Dashboard & Network
• Scalable communication and marketing strategy
• Can we invest in professional help for lobbying?
• Can we promote all sizes of libraries including indigenous and
French? ONE VOICE

15. The Real Goal
Cultural Change
A Coalition of the Willing
Engagement writ LARGE

16. We fixed our primary
structural problem
We looked hard and it was US!
SOLS, OLS-North, FOPL, & OLA (OPL, OLBA,
OSLA, OLITA, OCULA, OBFO, FNPL+, etc.)
We now share the responsibility for our sector’s
strategic initiatives

17. Deliverables
• Libraries 2020 and Libraries 2025 Summit
o (generated over $18 million)
• Library Communities of Practice (PeerHQ CoP)
• LearnHQ
o Education Institute
• AILP Annual Institute of the Library as Place
o New builds, Renovations
• Marketing Strength: Tagline
o A Visit will get you Thinking Tagline, Public Opinion
• OpenMediaDesk IceBoxLogic Project
• GovernanceHUB

18. More Deliverables - Influence
• Statistics
o 4th annual report with Dr. Robert Molyneux released in October 2018
o New book on Qualitative and Quantitative measurement & communication
• 4 Statistics Summits and ten recorded Measurement webinars
• Live and recorded Webinars
• Social Media Growth
• Dashboard, cohort training for 2+ years, OMD News Room, eOMD, Facebook
site
• Lobbying firm on retainer (Counsel Public Affairs)
• CFLA OLA FOPL national alliance (Truth & Reconciliation, Copyright, etc.)
• GLAM Alliance coalition started
• Political Action materials – election handbooks, website, videos, visuals, strategy

19. Our VIP Positioning
• Value
• Impact / Influence
• Positioning
19

20. FOPL Activities
• Research on Value (i.e. School Readiness Study from OISE
2012, Market Probe Study 2010)
• Coordination Meetings for all Library Statistics
• Royal Society Testimony and Recommendations
• FOPL EI Webinars on Ontario Data Collection 2011-12
• iSchool Symposium: Defining New Metrics for Library
Success
• Summit on The Future of Libraries
• Consultingcontributions of Dr. Robert Molyneux
• 2020 Branding Research and Campaign
• Hey, we got elections!
20

21. Coming Soon
• AI App for libraries, Beacons trials
• Library Card Book
• 4 more books with a vendor partner (GLAM)
• Sharing beyond libraries with natural allies (GLAM, Parks & Rec, etc.)
• New government relations and funding strategy alignment
• Becoming best friends with 11 Ministries and Premier
• Measurements:
o $100 million goal for broadband funding
o $51 million goal for PLOG
o $30 million goal for content in the pipes

23. Does the
Ontario
Government
support
Public
Libraries in
Ontario?
The province of Ontario
provides less than 1/100
of a single cent per day
per capita to ALL
libraries in Ontario and
hasn’t raised that in 22
years

24. Influence with Impact
I ♥
Libraries

25. THINK & REVIEW
What doesn’t exist today,
that if it did, would
fundamentally transform
our sector for the better?
I ♥
Libraries

26. PLAN
STRATEGICALLY
Lobbying Strategy 2018-
2020
I ♥
Libraries

27. IMPLEMENT
Gathering Data focused on
Stories and Aligned with a
New ASK position
I ♥
Libraries

28. DREAM: Imagining a Big
Hairy Audacious Goal
I ♥
Libraries

29. YOU CAN HELP!
• Be part of the army!
• Please invest your time in collaborate effort by:
• Support the provincial budget discussions.
• Building stronger partnerships with allied and adjacent sectors.
• Engage our members and commnuities in government influence
activities that are doable and well-focused.

30. Change
happens with
those who
show up!

31. Why Measurements?
With nicely crafted visuals libraries could do the following:
1. Communicate effectively with their trustees to get their advice on strategy as well as
support.
2. Communicate budget 'asks' effectively that place the library in the community value
delivery context.
3. Position budget growth (or at least lessen cuts) for community goal alignment and
strategic impact.
4. Explain why technology and community room spaces are as valuable (maybe more)
than books.
5. Position hybrid collection use properly in ‘circulation’.
6. Justify restoration or extension of library hours.
7. Show that your library either performs as well as or better than others or justify
investments to perform to provincial, national or sectoral norms.
31

32. Core Measurements
1. Overall value of a library membership (usage not cardholders)
2. Value of an 'open hour' (new metric unique to MPI TPL study that aggregates
cost + value)
3. Economic impact (vs. ROI) (Households and Population)
4. Per Capita 'Usage" comparison across systems, groups (like small, medium.
large, urban, suburban, rural, remote, FN, etc.), and jurisdictions (province/state)
5. A 'new' usage algorithm to modernize the old circulation stat and combine digital
and print usage into a standard, comparable metric
6. A metric for technology access tied to the digital/economic divide(s)
7. A standard operational effectiveness metric (Value for Tax Dollars)
8. Average cost per household (taxes are based on household rather than
population and better reflects funding models)
9. A metric for Use of Space (meetings, study, rooms) which was new for the MPI
study and hadn't been done before 32

33. We have a dream . . .
• Standards for our sector on impact metrics that lend themselves to the
communication, influence, and financial challenges faced by public libraries to
communicate their value to decision-makers and the public in the 21st Century
context.
• Build a set of standardized core statistics that build up to these measurements so
we could lead most libraries to start working with a new program to
communicate value (and build on their strengths in communicating pure
'usage').
• Ultimately create a tool such as a specially designed spreadsheet or dynamic
website where you input the numbers based on the standards and advice from
some group (us?!) that spits out decent data, information and visuals easily on
the other side.
33

85. Source: 2018 FOPL Data Reports:
https://bit.ly/2DDewd8

89. Thank You
www.fopl.ca
Stephen Abram,
Executive Director
416-395-0746
sabram@fopl.ca
I ♥
Libraries