Deletion - 712 Number of Bookmobiles in the Bookmobile Outlet Record (L_NUM_BM) & Revision - 709 Outlet Type Code (C_OUT_TY)

[enielsen-air]

Name:
Evan Nielsen

State/Affiliation:
American Institutes for Research (AIR)

Description of Change:
Delete data element #712 Number of Bookmobiles in the Bookmobile Outlet Record (L_NUM_BM)
Revise data element #709 Outlet Type Code (C_OUT_TY)

Current Definitions:
DELETE
#712 Number of Bookmobiles in the Bookmobile Outlet Record (L_NUM_BM)
The number of bookmobiles in the bookmobile outlet record.
Note: A bookmobile outlet record may include one or more bookmobiles. Complete this data element only if the outlet record is of the type BS—Bookmobile(s) (see outlet data element #709). A bookmobile is a traveling branch library. It consists of at least all the following:
•A truck or van that carries an organized collection of library materials;
•A paid staff; and
•Regularly scheduled hours (bookmobile stops) for being open to the public. Count vehicles in use, not the number of stops the vehicle makes.

REVISE (focus of revision would be words/phrases in bold-italics below)
#709 Outlet Type Code (C_OUT_TY)
An outlet is a unit of an administrative entity that provides direct public library service.
Select one of the following:
BM—Books-by-Mail Only. ... [no change]
BR—Branch Library. ... [no change]
BS—Bookmobile(s). A bookmobile is a traveling branch library. It consists of at least all the following:
•A truck or van that carries an organized collection of library materials;
•A paid staff; and
•Regularly scheduled hours (bookmobile stops) for being open to the public.
Note: A separate outlet record may be created for each bookmobile. You may wish to create separate outlet records for individual bookmobiles if they have different addresses. Alternatively, a bookmobile outlet record may include more than one bookmobile.
CE—Central Library. ... [no change]

Justification:
The current outlet file specifications/definitions allow for multiple bookmobile vehicles to be reported in one outlet file record (but states can also report one-to-one). This structure creates significant data processing and analysis challenges when trying to summarize any data about bookmobiles. A simpler structure of one vehicle to one record would eliminated these challenges.

Potential methodological issues:
We do not yet know if there are state-level reasons why reporting multiple vehicles per record is necessary or if it would be a significant logistical or reporting burden to implement this revision.

[LindsayThompson-CO]

It will cause a change in the process for some states that are made up with majority single-outlet libraries who capture all of their data at the AE level and don't have an outlet section on their PLS beyond an AE level question of how many branches and bookmobiles and total branch hours and bookmobile hours. It's a change that can be easily implemented at no additional cost for LibPAS subscribers.

I was surprise this change didn't occur when hours and weeks were added to the outlet records. It's long overdue, in my opinion.