Public Libraries

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    NAME OF ORGANISATION
    Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

    OVERVIEW
    One of the main objectives of conducting service industries surveys is to measure the size and structure of each industry. Part of this measurement is to identify the State and Territory contributions to key estimates such as wages and salaries, employment, income and business counts. Selected activity data will also be published. These estimates also identify the concentration of the industry in particular states and territories (ie; where there may be an oversupply or undersupply of industry operations) and how these estimates have changed since the conduct of the last survey.

    PURPOSE
    The main purpose of the Cultural Services collection is to provide data in response to user needs for size and structure information on a regular basis, (mainly financial), as well as selected activity measures of interest to external clients.

    ABS data on Cultural services is viewed as crucial in informing industry and government, particularly in relation to quantifying library issues to government.
    The main external user of this data is the Department of Communication, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA). Other external users include industry bodies such as the Council of Australian State Libraries
    and the Australian Libraries Industry Association (ALIA).

    DCITA have expressed three key requirements:
      a) library stock, counts of visitors and web presence;
      b) income profile of public libraries, particularly bequests and donations;
      c) value of artefact acquisitions by broad source, as well as data on the number of and nature and characteristics of artefact.
      Internal clients include the NCCRS in Adelaide. The NCCRS has been consulted as it has a strong understanding of the cultural issues needing to be addressed through links to major users and as a member of the Cultural Minister's Council Statistics Working Group (CMCSWG).

      SCOPE
      The scope of the collection was all local government public libraries, the eight National and state libraries and the eight National and state archives. Survey coverage excluded libraries with restricted access, such as those operated by businesses and organisations for internal purposes. The coverage was sourced from lists and directories of public library operations provided by national, state and territory government departments and library administration organisations - in particular the Council of Australian State Libraries.

      DATA DETAIL

      Conceptual framework
      Not applicable

      Main outputs
      Results from the survey will be published in catalogue 8561.0. The publication will contain the following tables at the national level, together with summary data at the state level:

        • key Figures
        • sources of income
        • items of expenditure
        • characteristics of employment
        • occupation
        • state and territory comparisons
        • selected activity data

      Where applicable, separate output will be produced for Local Government libraries, national and state libraries and national and state archives.

      Classifications
      The Australian and New Zealand Standard Product Classification (ANZSPC) has been used to provide a basis for recompiling basic product statistics from their original classifications into a standard classification for analytical use. All product components have been mapped in ANZSPC.

      Other concepts (summary)
      Not applicable

      GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
      Australia
      New South Wales
      Victoria
      Queensland
      South Australia
      Western Australia
      Tasmania
      Northern Territory
      ACT

      Comments and/or Other Regions


      COLLECTION FREQUENCY
      Adhoc

      Frequency comments
      This is an Ad hoc survey. Any repeat will depend on other user demands from key government departments and user bodies for Service Industry Statistics.

      COLLECTION HISTORY
      Public Libraries have previously been surveyed in respect of 1999-2000 and 1996-1997 (SIS Melbourne).

      DATA AVAILABILITY
      Yes

      Data availability comments



      DATE OF LAST UPDATE FOR THIS DOCUMENT
      27/09/2005 12:43 PM