Should you need to change any outlet address information, please contact Laura Hicks. You may still add new outlets, and will still need to fill in the hours and weeks that each outlet was open.
Q: How do we record hours and weeks per year (Questions 713 - Public Service Hours Per Year & 714 - Number of Weeks the Outlet is Open)?
A: Please enter actual hours and actual weeks. Do not total your hours open and divide by 52. Track weeks closed for extended closures (renovations, natural disasters, etc).
Outlet Data Element Definitions
This section asks for information regarding your library system's branches and bookmobiles, including hours and weeks that each outlet is open. All outlet address information and square footage has been pre-filled for you.
| Question Number | Question Title | Question Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 702 | Name of Outlet |
This is the legal name of the outlet. Note: Provide the legal name of the outlet. Do not use acronyms. Do not abbreviate the name unless it exceeds the field length. |
| 703 | Street Address |
This is the complete street address of the outlet. Note: Do not report a post office box or general delivery. For a bookmobile that operates from an administrative entity, branch, or central library, report the address of the administrative entity, branch or central library from which it operates. |
| 704 | City | This is the city or town in which the outlet is located. |
| 705 | ZIP Code | This is the standard five-digit ZIP code for the street address of the outlet. |
| 707 | County of the Outlet | This is the county in which the outlet is physically located. |
| 708 | Phone | This is the telephone number of the outlet, including area code. |
| 709 | Outlet Type Code |
An outlet is a unit of an administrative entity that provides direct public library service. Select one of the following: Books-by-Mail Only - A direct mail order service which provides books and other library materials. Books-by-mail typically serves rural residents, the disabled, the homebound, and others without access to another type of public library outlet. Requests for materials are usually received by mail and by telephone only. Only books-by-mail services that are housed separately from any other type of direct public service outlet (that is, central library, branches, or bookmobiles) should be coded here. BR (Branch Library) - A branch library is an auxiliary unit of an administrative entity which has at least all of the following:
Bookmobile - A bookmobile is a traveling branch library. It consists of at least all of the following:
Central Library - This is one type of single outlet library (SO) or the library which is the operational center of a multiple outlet library (MO or MA). Usually all processing is centralized here and the principal collections are housed here. Synonymous with main library. Note: Each administrative entity may report either no central library or one central library. No administrative entity may report more than one central library. Where there are several coequal outlets and no principal collection, report all such outlets as branches, not central libraries. |
| 711 | Square Footage of Outlet |
Provide the area, in square feet, of the public library outlet (central library or branch). Report the total area in square feet for each outlet separately. This is the area on all floors enclosed by the outer walls of the library outlet. Include all areas occupied by the library outlet, including those areas off-limits to the public. Include any areas shared with another agency or agencies if the outlet has use of that area. |
| 712 | Number of Bookmobiles in Outlet Record | Enter number of Bookmobiles in this outlet record |
| 713 | Public Service Hours per Year (actual hours) | This is the number of annual public service hours for outlets. Note: Include the actual hours open for public service for centrals (#209), Branches (#210), Bookmobiles (#211) and Books-by-mail Only. For each bookmobile, count only the hours during which the bookmobile is open to the public. For administrative entities that offer ONLY books-by- mail service, count the hours that the outlet is staffed for service. Minor variations in public service hours need not be included. Extensive hours closed to the public due to natural disasters or other events should be excluded from the count. |
| 714 | Number of Weeks the Outlet is Open (actual weeks) |
This is the number of weeks during the year that an outlet was open to the public. Note: The count should be based on the number of weeks that a library outlet was open for half or more of its scheduled service hours. Extensive weeks closed to the public due to natural disasters or other events should be excluded from the count. DO NOT calculate based on the total number of service hours per year at the outlet level, for example, by dividing total hours by the average hours open per week. Round to the nearest whole number of weeks. If the library was open half or more of its scheduled hours in a given week, round up to the next week. If the library was open less than half of its scheduled hours, round down. |
