2024 Annual Report Guide: 3 - Programs & Services

Section 3: LIBRARY PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND SERVICES

Specific instructions for this section can be accessed here. Please refer to pages 6-15.

NOTE: Section 3 is for library sponsored programs, both in and out of the building. Non-library sponsored programs are tracked in section 9.

DATE ALERT: Answers for questions 3.1 through 3.3 and 3.17 through 3.34e are based on your library's fiscal year. Answers for questions 3.4 through 3.16 and 3.35 through 3.77b are based on the 2024 calendar year.

Q3.2 – 3.3 Registered borrowers: Your Resident and Non-Resident totals are found in the User Count Resident/Nonresident report in your RCLS Reports packet on the previous tab.  Scroll to the bottom of Section 2 & 4 and click on your library's report.

2024 Changes to Part 3: Library Programs, Policies, and Services

Instructions Added

Q3.29: Instructions have been updated to add that live online program sessions that are recorded and posted online later should be counted.

Q3.30: Instructions have been updated to add that plays of audio recordings should also be counted here.

Q3.31 and Q3.32: Instructions have been updated to clarify that One-on-One program sessions may occasionally have an attendance of more than one, but if this happens repeatedly these should be reported as regular sessions.   One-on-One program sessions with zero attendees should not be reported. ***It was clarified that for make-and-takes libraries should count each kit prepared as one session, and each kit picked up as one attendee.***

Q3.59: Instructions have been updated to clarify that Combined Audience Programs are programs aimed at both children aged birth through five years and parents or caregivers of children aged birth through five years.

New Questions:

3.34b to 3.34e have been added to reflect library use of social media.  They refer to the use of social media for programs and services related to all age groups, not only teens/young adults.

Guidance Added:

•  If no programs within a category were offered/attended, 0 should be entered. If they were offered/attended but that data is not available, M (Missing) should be entered. N/A should not be entered for any programs.
•  Summer Reading, Early Literacy, Adult Literacy, ESOL, and Digital Literacy programs are subsets of Live and Prerecorded programs and should be entered in those sections as well as in the appropriate subsequent section.
• Q3.32 (One-on-One Program Attendance) – If one walk-in time is scheduled but one individual brings along an additional person, count as 1 session with 2 attendees. This should not be the norm.  If this is happening regularly, it should be counted in the Live program category.

Programs –  All programs within the date range defined by the question range must first be sorted into one of three categories: Live, Prerecorded or One-to-One.  The Live program set will be sorted by age (0-5, 6-11,12-18, 19+ or General Interest) and also by venue (on-site, offsite or virtual) within questions 3.17a-3.21b (AGE) and 3.24a-3.26b (VENUE). 

TIP:  Family or muli-age programs may be included under question 3.21a - 3.21b- General Interest Program Sessions.  Do not count programs twice! The program either falls in a specific age group OR is a General Interest.

TIP: Total number of Live Program sessions by Age (3.22) and Venue (3.27) should be the same, and total attendance at live programs by Age (3.23) and Venue (3.28) should be the same.

TIP: If your library is a July1-June 30 fiscal year and you are looking for summer reading program numbers from 2023 to report in the Live Programs and Attendance Section, go to the current summer reading section and turn on last year's answers to get those numbers.

SUMMER READING SECTION:

Tip: For questions 3.35 through 3.55, use the numbers from 2024 Adventure Begins at Your Library summer reading program. Copies of the Summer Reading report submitted in August/Sept. can be found below.

Definition Reminders:

Synchronous Programs was changed last year to Live Programs.

Asynchronous Programs was changed last year to Prerecorded Programs.

Previous Definitions:

A live program session is any planned event which introduces the group attending to library services or which provides information to participants.
Program sessions may cover use of the library, library services, or library tours. Program sessions may also provide cultural, recreational, or educational information.
Examples of these types of program sessions include, but are not limited to, film showings, lectures, story hours, literacy programs, citizenship classes, and book discussions.

 

FAQs

Q: Where do I count notary service? What about passport assistance?
A: Count notary services and passport assistance as on-on-one program sessions

Q: How should I count live programs (either in-person or virtual) that were recorded, and the recording posted online?
A: Every program should be counted only once, but attendance and views of it may be split across types. So, if you offered a live onsite program that two people attend in person, two people view online while it’s happening, and two people watch later, this counts as one live onsite program, with 2 live onsite attendees, 2 live virtual attendees, and 2 views of prerecorded program presentations.

Q: My library offered one-on-one computer help. Should this be counted only as on-on-one sessions, or can it also be counted in the digital literacy section?
A: For the Summer Reading, Early Literacy, Adult Literacy, ESOL, and Digital Literacy sections, libraries should report these both in the Library Sponsored Programs fields and in the categorical field, as these are state-level questions that are sub-groups of the previous.