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Annual Report Overview and FAQ

A resource for general information and frequently asked questions revolving around Pennsylvania's Annual Report (Public Library Survey).

Section F. Library Usage

This section reports information concerning circulation of materials and interlibrary loan (ILL) transactions. Report combined circulation totals of all library outlets governed by the same administration, i.e., branches, bookmobiles, and main library.

Both calendar year and fiscal year libraries should report usage for the period January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024.

Things to remember when completing this section:

  • A registered user is a library user who has applied for and received an identification number or card from the public library that has established conditions under which the user may borrow library materials or gain access to other library resources.

Count only registered borrows that have been active within the past three years. Example: A person who received a library card on January 3, 2022, will be considered a registered borrow, even if they did not use their library card since the day of registration.  A person who received a library card on December 28, 2021, will not be counted as a registered borrow unless they have used their library card between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024.

  • Clarification between circulation and ILL:
    • Physical Items Circulation: The total annual circulation of all physical library materials of all types, including renewals. Note: Count all physical materials in all formats that are charged out for use outside the library. Interlibrary loan transactions included are only items borrowed for users. Do not include items checked out to another library.

    • Interlibrary Loans: These are library materials, or copies of the materials, provided by one autonomous library to another upon request. The libraries involved in interlibrary loans are not under the same library administration. “Library administration” means Administrative Entity (not anything broader). Do not include items loaned between outlets within the same library administrative entity.

  • Understanding these two definitions leads to the following general statement: The library requesting the item and physically checking the ILL item out to the patron can count the transaction as both a circulation and an ILL.  The library sending the item cannot count it as a circulation but can count it as an ILL.

  • Here are two scenarios with reporting implications:
    • A patron of Library A requests a book that is not owned by any library within the shared ILS.  Library A processes the patron’s request through OCLC or ShareIT (our statewide ILL service). Library B (not within the same ILS) fills the request, checks out the requested item to Library A (requesting library), and sends it to Library A for the patron.   Library A processes the ILL for the patron’s use. Library A will count the circulation of the item AND count the transaction as an ILL (received from). Library B will only count the transaction as an ILL (provided to).
  • Understanding these two definitions leads to the following general statement: Circulation of an item may only be counted by one library administrative entity; however, ILL transactions may be counted by both library administrative entities. (Updated 01.23.2025)
  • Here are two scenarios with reporting implications:
    • A patron of Library A requests a book that is not owned by any library within the shared ILS.  Library A processes the patron’s request through OCLC or ShareIT (our statewide ILL service). Library B (not within the same ILS) fills the request, checks out the requested item to Library A (requesting library), and sends it to Library A for the patron.   Library A processes the ILL for the patron’s use. Library A will count the circulation of the item AND count the transaction as an ILL (received from). Library B will only count the transaction as an ILL (provided to). 
    • A patron of Library A requests a book that is owned by Library C within the shared ILS.  The book is placed on hold on the patron’s library account (either by the patron or by Library A) via the ILS.  Library C pulls the hold and marks the book “In transit” through the ILS.  Library A receives the book and proceeds to check out the item to the patron.  Library A will count the transaction as an ILL (received from). Library C will count the transaction as an ILL (provided to).  Circulation will be counted by only one library, either Library A or Library C, depending on how your ILS is set up to record transactions. Please review the setup of your ILS to ensure that checkouts within libraries that share an ILS are only being counted by one entity.  (Updated 01.23.2025)

Status

Number

Data Element

Description/Definition

F-1

Registered users as of December 31, 2024

Total Registered Users at the end of the calendar year.

MODIFIED: NEW

F-2

Did your library offer automatic renewal for any physical materials during the reporting period?

Patrons do not have to take any action for automatic renewals. The Integrated Library System [ILS] rules determine how/when automatic renewals occur.

Status

Number

Data Element

Description/Definition

MODIFIED: Updated Data Element for clarification

F-3

Circulation of physical books, physical audio units, physical video units, and physical periodicals/serials

The total annual circulation of all physical library materials of all types, including renewals. Include circulation from all branches and bookmobiles.  Include print books, physical audio units, physical video units, and serials. Note: Only count items that are charged out for use outside the library. Interlibrary loan transactions included are only items borrowed for users. Do not include items considered Other Physical Items such as wi-fi hotspots, sewing machines, cake pans, tools, telescopes, board games, video games, etc. Do not include items checked out to another library.

F-4

Circulation of Other Physical Items (wi-fi hotspots, tools, boardgames, etc.)

Circulation of all physical items other than print books, physical audio units, physical video units, and serials, including renewals. Include circulation from all branches and bookmobiles. These are materials in a fixed, physical format available for use outside the library. These can include a variety of item types, such as wi-fi hotspots, sewing machines, cake pans, tools, telescopes, board games, video games, etc.

MODIFIED: NEW auto calculation

F-5

Circulation of all types of physical items

This is automatically calculated. Includes the circulation of physical books, audios, videos, periodicals, and other physical items.

The circulation of digital items are now broken down into digital types (e-books, e-serials, e-audio, and e-video).

Things to remember in the subsection:

  • Circulation/Usage of electronic resources purchased by the system or district should be reported only by the home library of the patron accessing the resource or by a prorated formula across all member libraries. 

We are requesting that each library enter a pro-rated figure for circulation/usage of digital/online resources when vendors are unable to provide data by location. Most libraries base the figure on their service area population percentage of the system/district. How you decide to pro-rate the total is completely up to your system/district, as long the combined library circulation/usage is equal to the total circulation/usage of the resource.

Example: The system/district provides iCloud resources to member libraries.  The vendor does not break down the circulation of materials by library and only provides a total to the system/district.  The system/district prorates the circulation of iCloud usage to the member libraries based on the percentage of service area they have within the system/district or based on the percentage of print circulation of the systemwide ILS.  

Status

Number

Data Element

Description/Definition

MODIFIED:  NEW

F-6

Circulation of e-books

E-books are the digital equivalent of printed books that may be accessed online from an electronic device. E-books also include e-comics. Include circulation from all branches and bookmobiles. Include circulation only for items that require user authentication and have a limited period of use. User authentication includes library card barcodes; however, in some cases within the library there may be a computer that can access electronic material without library barcode use.  Those counts should be included as well.  Do not include databases.

MODIFIED:  NEW

F-7

Circulation of e-serials (periodicals/magazines/newspapers)

E-serials are periodic digital publications equivalent to printed newspapers, magazines, and similar media that are viewed as entire issues rather than as single articles returned from a research query. Include circulation from all branches and bookmobiles. Include circulation only for items that require user authentication and have a limited period of use. User authentication includes library card barcodes; however, in some cases within the library there may be a computer that can access electronic material without library barcode use.  Those counts should be included as well.  Do not include databases.

MODIFIED: NEW

F-8

Circulation of e-audio

E-audio are digital files of sound only (e.g., audiobooks, music) that may be accessed online from an electronic device. Include circulation from all branches and bookmobiles. Include circulation only for items that require user authentication and have a limited period of use. User authentication includes library card barcodes; however, in some cases within the library there may be a computer that can access electronic material without library barcode use.  Those counts should be included as well.  Do not include databases.

MODIFIED:  NEW

F-9

Circulation of e-video

E-videos are digital files of moving visual images (e.g., movies, television shows) with or without sound that may be accessed online from an electronic device. Include circulation from all branches and bookmobiles. Include circulation only for items that require user authentication and have a limited period of use. User authentication includes library card barcodes; however, in some cases within the library there may be a computer that can access electronic material without library barcode use.  Those counts should be included as well.  Do not include databases.

MODIFIED: Now is auto calculate

F-10

Total Circulation of Electronic Materials (e-books, e-serial, e-video download, e-audio files)

This is the sum of E-book Circulation, E-serial Circulation, E-audio Circulation, and E-video Circulation

MODIFIED: REMOVED from PLS

Retrieval of Electronic Information

MODIFIED: REMOVED from PLS

Total Electronic Content Use

Total Electronic Content Use is the total annual count of the circulation of electronic materials and the retrieval of electronic information.  This question will automatically calculate. No entry is required.

Please remember that the circulation of children’s materials should be included in the breakdown of materials circulation data already reported.  This is one of the few times when a figure will be duplicated in the report.

 

Status

Number

Data Element

Description/Definition

F-11

Total Circulation of Physical and Electronic Materials

This is the sum of Circulation of Physical Items and Circulation Electronic Material.  This question will automatically calculate. No entry is required.

MODIFIED: New

This is now only reporting PHYSICAL materials

F-12

Circulation of children's physical materials during the reporting year - included within the Total Circulation of Physical Materials data element.

The total annual circulation of all children’s materials in all physical formats to all users, including renewals. Include circulation of other physical items for children (e.g., kits, games, technology). If possible, do not include materials for teens/young adults.

MODIFIED: REMOVED from PLS - Removed from State AR

Circulation of Children's Materials - included within Total Circulation of Physical and Electronic Materials

The total annual circulation of all children's materials in all formats to all users, including renewals that is part of the Total Circulation of Physical and Electronic Materials. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): Children and Young Adults Defined (Services and Resources for Children and Young Adults in Public Libraries [August 1995, NCES 95357]) defines children as persons ages 11 years and under.

Interlibrary Loans are library materials, or copies of the materials provided by one autonomous library to another upon request. The libraries involved in interlibrary loans are not under the same library administration. “Library administration” means Administrative Entity (not anything broader). Do not include items loaned between outlets within the same library administrative entity.

Federated Library system members should include loans to and from other libraries within their system, in addition to Interlibrary Loaned items outside of the system/county, as these are considered Interlibrary Loans according to the Federal Definition.

Status

Number

Data Element

Description/Definition

F-13

Interlibrary loan items provided to other libraries

Report library materials, or copies of the materials provided by one library to another library upon request during the reporting period. The libraries involved in interlibrary loans are not under the same library administration (local board governance). Do not include items loaned between outlets (branches, bookmobiles) within the same library administrative entity (local board governance).  Federated Library system members should include loans to other libraries within their system, in addition to Interlibrary Loaned items outside of the system/county, as these are considered Interlibrary Loans according to the Federal Definition.

F-14

Interlibrary loan items received from other libraries

Report library materials, or copies of the materials received by one library from another library upon request during the reporting period. The libraries involved in interlibrary loans are not under the same library administration (local board governance). Do not include items loaned between outlets (branches, bookmobiles) within the same library administrative entity (local board governance).  Federated Library system members should include loans from other libraries within their system, in addition to Interlibrary Loaned items outside of the system/county, as these are considered Interlibrary Loans according to the Federal Definition.