Canadian Library Statistics Bibliography

Library and Archives Canada
January 2007

This bilingual bibliography provides a comprehensive list of sources of statistical information on Canadian libraries. The bibliography is part of the National Core Library Statistics Program (NCLSP).

It lists resources which can be used answer questions such as:

• How many libraries are there in Canada?
• What historical trends have taken place in the development of different types of libraries and library services in Canada?

By identifying the roles and impact of Canadian libraries, the bibliography can also be used to demonstrate the contribution that libraries make to society and position libraries as a key component of the Canadian cultural fabric.

Purpose

The Canadian Library Statistics Bibliography will provide a starting point for research on Canadian libraries. It is intended to be of use for libraries seeking information for purposes of comparison and funding, for government and other cultural organizations, for publishing and related industries and for other interested parties, such as journalists, researchers, international organizations and members of the public.

Criteria for Inclusion

The resource must:

• Be about Canadian libraries
• Be statistical, or otherwise duplicable and comparable
• Produce original statistics, or address an original component or aspect of the statistics which they concern
• Concern aspects that the library has in common with other libraries (such as collection size or funding)
• Concern the role that the library plays within its community (as opposed to records that a library keeps only for its own purposes)
• Be physically accessible to the public
• Be produced by an authoritative and credible author or issuing agency
• Apply the standards of academic research and accepted statistical methods

Criteria for Exclusion

• General works on statistics, handbooks on how to use or misuse statistics, or information on programs or tools to help with the collection, manipulation and analysis of statistics
• Strategic plans or Annual Reports for individual institutions or specific communities
• Directories
• Guidelines and standards
• Information relevant only to those within the library-community
• Information on librarians
• Information on users (such as information-seeking behavior literature, user-groups, programs for users, etc.)
• Reports on peripheral subjects such as literacy, internet use or reading habits which only mention the role of libraries
• Case studies or profiles

Arrangement of Entries

Entries are arranged alphabetically (by author or issuing agency) and are cited according to the conventions of the fifteen edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Citations are in the language of the resource. In instances where the resource has been issued in both English and French, there is both an English and a French component to the citation.

Entries are further arranged in specialized lists according to the category of library which they concern, be it special, school, academic or public.