More Numbers for You

Each year, Santa Fe Public Library staffers have to crunch numbers and analyze services to answer a plethora of surveys. Some of these surveys are for the State of New Mexico, some for non-profits like the American Library Association, and others are for various federal agencies. Since these annual surveys can sometimes feel like a Sisyphean task, it's always nice to see some results come out of them.

The following facts were sent out as talking points for this year's Library Legislative Day. While 2011's day has passed, it's good to keep in mind year-round how helpful public libraries are for a variety of tasks for everyone in the community. Locally, the Santa Fe Public Library answered YES to all the following questions this year:

85.0% of New Mexico's public libraries help people access and use employment resources, including helping with job searches, creating resumes and submitting employment applications.

95.9% of New Mexico's public libraries offer IT and other technical training, helping people gain essential technology skills for the 21st Century workforce.

91.8% of New Mexico's public libraries act as the bridge between government and its services, offering free access and assistance to help people complete online government forms.

54.3% of New Mexico's public libraries are often the only free source of Internet access in their communities, providing a vital link to technology and information.

Data: The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study survey is managed by the Center for Library & Information Innovation at the University of Maryland and funded by the American Library Association and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. More information about libraries & the Internet is available at http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/. 2009-2010 & 2010-2011 data presented.