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No. 23:  Statistics for Libraries and Museums 2004

Among the factors revealed by the statistics are a sharp rise in the full-time equivalents employed by the museums, the continuing closures of public branch libraries, and a large increase in the number of electronic documents downloaded in the academic, special and research libraries.

The statistics for 2004 cover the public libraries and school libraries, the academic, special and research libraries, and the museums.  Work is now under way to establish statistical data to cover local and regional archival materials, and these statistics will be included in future publications.  The statistics was collected using a harmonised electronic system developed by The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority for the collection of data during Spring 2005.  It is the first time the complete statistics for libraries and museums has been collected using a statistical survey form in an electronic format, and the first time the collection of data from these institutions has been co-ordinated by using one and the same system.

In total, we have received completed forms from almost 4,800 institutions, reporting on behalf of approximately 5,300 units or points of service.  The data collected from the public and school libraries was analysed internally by The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority, while the data from the academic, special and research libraries and museums was analysed by Statistics Norway.  Statistics Norway has also published parts of the statistics in its official statistics for Norway.

Public Libraries

The statistics for 2004 reveals that the clear trend of closing down public branch libraries is continuing.  By end 2004 there was a total of 865 permanent public library divisions in the country, as against 892 in 2003.  The 434 main libraries are included in this number.  In addition, there are the mobile library units.  A third of the public library divisions are combined with school libraries, above all for primary and lower secondary schools.  In the public libraries, 2,627 individuals were employed for 1,814 full-time equivalents, or a drop in the number of full-time equivalents of 2% from the previous year.  The number of full-time equivalents does of course vary from commune to commune, for example because of size, and almost a quarter of the communes had fewer than one full-time equivalent employee in their public library.  Qualified librarians and head librarians represented 930, or over half, full-time equivalents, with two thirds of the communes employing their own qualified head librarian.

Opening hours

Despite the decline in the number of public library units, the total number of weekly library opening hours increased.  The closure of branch libraries meant that the total number of opening hours in these libraries dropped, despite an average increase in the number of branch library opening hours.  However, an increase in the opening hours of the main libraries of around 3.5%, or almost an hour a week on average, produced more opening hours in total per week than was the case in 2003.

274 libraries remained open on a Saturday, an increase of nine compared with 2003.  However, the biggest difference is to be found in the number of libraries that remained open on a Sunday.  In 2004, 26 main libraries and two branch libraries offered Sunday opening hours, or almost five times as many as in 2003.

Finances

Caution is required when comparing the operating costs of the public libraries from one year to the next, and not least when comparing different libraries.  Changes may occur in the book-keeping practices of a commune for entering say the rental of premises or expenses for janitor services, and there may also be variations between communes in such entries.  The figures for 2004 may also contain some variations in the way that VAT is recorded.

Total gross operating costs of NOK 1,093 million were recorded for 2004.  However, it should be pointed out that only 187 libraries have reported figures for rental of premises, and that accounting figures are outstanding from five libraries.  Thus the real operating costs of the public libraries are higher than indicated by the statistics. 

Salaries comprise the largest item of expenditure, amounting to just over NOK 678 million, which is an increase of 0.8% compared with index linked figures for 2003.  Costs for materials also show a slight increase of 0.3%, totalling NOK 135 million in 2004.  However, the increase is not large enough to prevent a decrease in expenditure on materials per head of population.  In addition to the materials purchased by the libraries themselves, they also received a considerable number of books through the centrally subsidised purchasing schemes by the Arts Council Norway.

Visits

Over the last few years, the total number of visits to the Norwegian public libraries has remained at around five visits per inhabitant per year, and the figure remains unchanged from 2003 to 2004.  In two counties, Telemark and Nord-Trøndelag, there has been a double digit increase in the number of visits of 12.4% and 19.0% respectively.

Variations between the counties also show that the county with the highest number of visits per head of population, Vest-Agder, has more than twice the number of visits than the county with the fewest visits, Finnmark, 6.92 and 3.12 visits respectively.  The statistics reveal little about how the users spend their time in the public library, apart from borrowing books and other materials.  They also do not contain information about what proportion of the population is using the libraries, and for this type of information it is necessary to use other sources.  No recent figures are available to disclose why people visit the public libraries, but a survey of 2000 by Norsk Gallup Institutt AS on behalf of the Norwegian Directorate for Public Libraries, showed that almost 40% of those who used the libraries did not do so to borrow, but in order to use other services.  Statistics Norway’s publication, Norwegian Cultural Barometer 2004, reveals that over half the population, 54%, visited a public library in 2004.  The survey also showed that a large proportion of young people is using the public libraries; among 13 to 15 year-olds, as many as 82% had visited a public library during the year.

With regard to the use of the services offered by the library, it should be borne in mind that many libraries spend considerable resources on services available via the Internet.  The statistics do not contain figures to reveal the extent of the use of such services, and consequently the use of the libraries’ services exceeds that which is indicated by visitor numbers alone.  It is particularly important to take this fact into account when making long term comparisons, since services that were previously available on the library premises now are often available via the Internet, for example catalogue searches, reservations and renewals.

Lending

Statistics Norway’s Cultural Barometer shows that users often visit the library for purposes other than to borrow.  Nevertheless it also shows that borrowing is the purpose of the visit in over 60% of cases.  In 2004, the total number of loans made in the public libraries topped 25 million; compared with 2003 this shows an increase of 1.5% in the number of loans per head of population, and over the past 10 years the number of loans per head of population has increased by almost 10%.  The reason for this increase can be traced to the lending of materials other than books, which now represents 27% of total lending as against 11% in 1995.  On the other hand, the number of book loans per head of population has dropped by about 9% over the same period.

Over the past couple of years there are signs that this trend is turning, in particular where loans of children’s books are concerned.  Since 2001, the year recording the lowest level of children’s books lent in the period, there has been an annual increase in the lending of children’s books, and in 2004 loans of children’s books were up by 9.4% on the lowest year of 2001.  Lending of children’s books now represents 42.5% of the total number of books lent.

County libraries

The operating costs of the county libraries rose by approximately 0.6% from 2003 to 2004, reaching NOK 113.3 million in 2004.  The number of full-time equivalent staff rose by 3.5 compared with the previous year, and salary costs increased by 5.3% compared with index linked figures for 2003. Salary costs represented the largest item of expenditure for the county libraries, amounting to NOK 65.5 million.

The total number of loans in the county libraries was 756,000.  The figures from Rogaland County Library for 2003 are not included in the comparison since the library has handed over this task to Stavanger Library, and we are thus without figures for 2004.

We note a decrease in the total lending of 8% on the previous year, although we would point out that the variation is in fact smaller since the drop in the number of loans by the mobile units of Akershus County Library is not actual but linked to changes in recording practices.  The drop in lending applies both to interlibrary loans and the direct loans made by the county libraries.  The greater variation is observed in direct lending which went down by 9.4%, while interlibrary lending decreased by 3.8%.  As in previous years, there are wide differences between the counties, and the variations in the number of loans range from an increase of 53% in Troms to a decrease of 30% in Aust-Agder.

Requests for interlibrary loans, both from libraries within the county and from libraries outside the county, were down on 2003.  Furthermore, the number of requests passed on by the county libraries diminished.  Each year since 1996 has seen a decrease in these two categories, a trend which continued in 2004.  The reason for this is that the public libraries are increasingly directing their requests at libraries which hold the required materials.

Mobile library services

In 2003, for the first time since 1995, no reduction was recorded in the number of book buses, although 2004 again saw the closure of some book bus services.  One book bus service was shut down in August, and two more were cancelled at the year’s end.  After these closures, there remained 33 mobile units as of 1st January, 2005.  This means that 22 mobile units have been shut down over the past 10 years.  The term “a mobile unit” indicates a book bus service operated as an independent service, and it should therefore be noted that a mobile unit does not necessarily correspond with the number of actual buses or boats run.  This issue currently applies to the book boat serving the counties of Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Møre og Romsdal, which is counted as three units, since the three county libraries each operates an independent service from the boat.

The figures show a decline in lending from 2003 to 2004, although the apparent sharp reduction in respect of the book buses operated by Akershus County Library is not a real one.  It would therefore appear that overall lending remains at roughly the same level as in the previous year. Figures for the past ten years show there has been a decline in lending of around 23%.  Since there has been a reduction in the number of mobile units of around 40% in the same period, the number of loans per unit has increased despite the drop in the total volume of lending.

Libraries in upper secondary schools and colleges of further education

Expenditure on books and other materials amounted to NOK 29.3 million, or NOK 180.81 per student, which is a drop of 2.4% compared with 2003.  The rate of acquisition of new books per student has declined by 1.9%, while the number of books per student in the collections of these school libraries has increased by 4.9%.  The number of subscriptions to journals and newspapers has dropped by 2.1%.   Overall, there was an increase in the number of materials per student of 3.8%.  It should be borne in mind that these average figures disguise large variations between different school libraries.

The total number of loans in the school libraries increased by 32,000 from 2003, or an increase in the number of loans per student of 4.1%.  This change is due to a remarkable rise in the loans of audio-visual materials of 36%.  The total loans of books, in fact, show a decline, and here an unequal development can be noted in respect of fiction and subject related literature.  Whereas the lending of subject related literature shows a decline of 5.9%, lending of fiction has increased by 7.8%.   In eight of the counties, all school libraries were equipped with computers with Internet access for the use of the students.  Nationwide, 93% of the school libraries offered this kind of access.

Of the total number of staff employed in the school libraries, 246 were qualified librarians, a number which represents 57% of the 360 full-time equivalents.  Here one should be aware of the large variations that exist between the schools, a factor which is also evident on a county level.  Whereas in Østfold, schools employ a qualified librarian for as many as 48 hours per week on average, in Hordaland qualified librarians are employed for a mere hour a week per school.  These differences are not quite as dramatic when the total personnel resources are taken into account, although here, too, there are wide variations.

Libraries in primary and lower secondary schools

Due to the delays incurred as a result of the introduction of a new system for the retrieval of the statistical data, the percentage of responses received was lower than normal.  Approximately 88% of the primary and lower secondary schools reported such data, as against approximately 95% the previous year, which renders a comparison from one year to the next difficult.  Awareness must also be given to the fact that the statistics received from these school libraries can be incomplete, and in 2004 this applies especially to information about pupil numbers.  Around 200 of the school libraries supplied no information in this respect, which must be borne in mind when using the figures.

Although the percentage of responses was down in 2004, the figures nevertheless show an increase in the total number of book loans.  Just as in the upper secondary schools and the colleges of further education, there is inequality in the development of loans of subject literature and of fiction. Lending of subject literature represented 26.5% of the total number of loans in 2003, while the figure for 2004 was 25.5%.  Caution is required when concluding what direction developments are taking over a given period because of the variations in the data used, but the figures for the last five years appear to show a trend where fiction represents an increasingly large part of the lending in the primary school libraries.

The prison libraries

The statistics for the prison libraries do not include all available library services in Norwegian prisons; it is mainly the prison libraries receiving central funding that are covered in the annual statistics.   These prison libraries are supplied with library services from the local public and county libraries, under an agreement with The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority in respect of central funding.  The arrangement covers 13 library divisions in 12 different institutions.  In addition, figures are supplied by two prison libraries that are not covered by this type of  funding agreement.  The figures on lending reveal a high level of use in the libraries; in 2004, every prisoner borrowed on average one hundred books and other materials, a figure which is roughly 18 times as high as the number of loans effected by the public libraries to the general population.  A combination of factors makes it difficult for the prison libraries to cover all the needs of their own prison population: a target group composed of individuals with widely differing needs, an unusually high level of requests for books and other materials, and library units that are small in comparison with the public libraries.  The result is, therefore, that the prison libraries’ level of borrowing from other libraries is high;  in 2004 an average of five books or other materials per prisoner was borrowed from other libraries.

Academic, special and research libraries: some main features

The Norwegian academic, special and research libraries carried out more than 4.2 million loans in 2004.  Of these, around 458,000 were interlibrary loans and over 3.7 million loans were made locally.  Total collections now include almost 19 million volumes, an increase in 2004 of almost 533,000 volumes.  The 315 library units employed 1,869 staff carrying out 1,556 full-time equivalents.  Total costs last year rose to NOK 1.1 billion, NOK 531 million of this amount representing salary expenditure, and NOK 276 million being spent on the purchase of materials.  Statistical survey forms were sent to 352 library units.  Since 25 of the units have either closed down or disappeared due to organisational changes, 327 units were expected to respond.  315 of these actually did so, representing a response of 96.3%.  All the libraries that have submitted statistics are included in the tables to be found on the homepage of The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority.  All the collected data was quality controlled by Statistics Norway prior to publication.

Books and periodicals collections

The total collection as of 1st January, 2005 stood at 19 million volumes, representing an increase of 18% from 1995.  Over the last years, the growth has varied somewhat.  In 2004 there was an increase of 533,000 volumes.  Since 1995 there has been an overall increase of 5.5 million volumes.  Taking into account the volumes relegated to store over the same period, the growth stands at 2.59 million volumes.

The number of current subscriptions to periodicals has varied somewhat in the period 1995 to 2004, but the figures reveal only a small overall growth of 1.25%.  Fluctuations in international exchange rates and library budgets have caused some libraries periodically to cancel subscriptions to printed materials.  Others have over the past few years opted for electronic titles only, leading to a fall in the number of printed titles.  From baseline statistical data collected in 2001, an attempt has been made to ascertain the number of electronic titles that are accessible from Norwegian academic, special and research libraries.  The number of these has risen sharply over the past few years, with 155,000 titles recorded in 2004.

Are the collections used?

From 1994 to 2004, the number of loans increased by 21%.  Total loans include local loans, copies supplied in lieu of loans, and interlibrary loans.  Since 1995, access to electronic resources has risen sharply, leading to a levelling out of the number of loans from the physical collection nationwide, a trend which appears to be continuing.  The importance of electronic sources is becoming ever greater to the users, who are increasingly consulting them.  Interlibrary borrowing has shown a clear falling trend over the past few years.  In 1995, borrowing stood at 363,000, while last year it had gone down to 304,000, a fall of 16%.  In the period 1995 to 2004, the National Library has recorded a decline of 30%, and the university libraries have reduced interlibrary borrowing by 48%.  The public university colleges have increased their level of borrowing by 28%, whereas the other university colleges have increased theirs by 76%.

Interlibrary lending nationwide has increased by 10% since 1995 but there are wide variations between the different types of library.  The public university colleges for example record an increase of 220%, while the other university colleges show an increase of 29%.  Universities on the other hand record a reduction of 23%, and the other libraries have also had a fall in the same period.  Figures for the National Library show a sharp rise of 203%.

The number of local loans per student/employee nationwide has stayed fairly constant, varying between 10.5 and 12.1 in the period 1995 to 2004.

Personnel

During the period 1995 to 2004, the number of full-time equivalents employed in the academic, special and research libraries increased by 17%.  Over the past few years, statistical figures reveal a nationwide levelling out of personnel number and the full-time equivalents employed.  The National Library has shown the largest percentage rise during the period, although it should be borne in mind that many of the changes occurred in connection with the separation of the National Library and the University Library in Oslo.  The public university colleges have shown an increase both in the number of full-time equivalents employed and of personnel, while the universities have had an increase in the number of personnel, although the full-time equivalents employed have dropped.

The public academic, special and research libraries have experienced the largest decline both in the number of full-time equivalents and their number of employees.  During the period the university libraries increased the number of employees by over 16%, while the number of full-time equivalents decreased by almost 4%.  The public university college libraries have increased the number of employees by 38% and the full-time equivalents by almost 36% in the same period.

Finances

Statistical data in respect of finances has been of uneven quality.  Some libraries are not able to obtain the relevant data from their parent institution, while others receive only partial data.  This causes problems in the interpretation of available statistical data.  Expenditure on new acquisitions increased by 70% from 1995 to 2004.  As a percentage of total costs, reported expenditure on acquisitions has been reduced from 35% in 1995 to 25.5% in 2004.  More than 60% of the libraries have reported on salaries and social benefit costs in the period from 1995.  The figures indicate that there has been an increase in these costs of approximately 125%.  As a percentage of total costs, expenditure on salaries in 1995 was 51.1%, whereas in 2004 it was 49%.  There is great variation between the different types of library. The other university colleges spend 66%, the highest proportion recorded, whereas the university libraries use only 43% of their total costs on salaries.

Some performance indicators

A comparison between the increase in loans made and the increase the number of full-time equivalents employed, calculated in percentage terms, gives an indication of how performance levels have evolved from 1995 to 2004.  To establish the degree to which the collections are being used, a comparison can be made of the increase of the total number of loans with the increase in the number of volumes and the gross increases, as measured in percentage terms.  The diagram demonstrates that the collections are being used more efficiently than previously.  The rise in the number of volumes is stimulating increased lending, but since the former is growing more slowly than the latter, this results in more wear and tear of the collections.  The academic, special and research libraries are succeeding in increasing the use of their libraries without a corresponding increase in the number of full-time equivalents employed; rather it would appear that the full-time equivalents are being reduced.

Museum statistics: some main features

At the time of developing  a system for the retrieval of statistical data over the Internet, The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority also undertook a revision of the statistical survey form for museum statistics.  The purpose was to secure the inclusion of new services carried out by the museums, and to rephrase certain questions in order to avoid misunderstanding and inaccurate reporting.  The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority also wanted to include certain questions on behalf of EGMUS (European Group on Museum Statistics).  A new and enlarged statistical survey form, prepared by a working group including members from Statistics Norway, the Norwegian Museums Association, the Norwegian Folk Museum and The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority, was therefore used in the collection of statistical data in 2004.  The electronic form was equipped with automated control functions to ensure the receipt of improved data and to simplify subsequent controls.  A covering letter went out from The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority on the 17th March, 2005 to the 492 museums due to submit statistical data.  An original due submission date was set for the 31st March, 2005 but this was later postponed.  Any museum not able to respond using the Internet could instead submit the data by means of a form corresponding to the net pages, either on paper or as a Word-document.  As of 3rd June, 2005, 401 museums had submitted their statistics.  287 of these responded using the Internet and 114 sent the form using a paper document or e-mail.  We entered the information from the latter onto the system.  92 of the museums on the list did not respond.  Allowing for the 10 institutions that submitted their statistics through a consolidated museum, the level of response achieved by the museums was 83%.  In view of the major restructuring of both the survey form and of the manner of submission, we regard this as an acceptable result.  During the summer the data was analysed by Statistics Norway, with parts of the results published as official statistics for Norway.  As in previous years, Statistics Norway has published statistics covering those sections of the population that had a museum that was open during the year of recording, and which employed at least one full-time equivalent.  The results from all the museums that submitted statistical data are included in this publication by The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority.

Buildings and collections

In all, 4,969 buildings with protected building status were recorded, 2,967 of which are open to the public.  By end 2004, the museums contained a total of 357,596 art history artefacts, 6,042,139 cultural history artefacts, 11,555,225 natural history artefacts, and 15,027,911 photographs.  The high number of additions in a few museums produces high figures for overall growth.  One of the questions in the new statistical survey form relates to the number of artefacts that are recorded using electronic software.  From the responses we have calculated the percentage of the total collections recorded electronically:

Art History: 28%
Cultural History: 21%
Natural History: 31%
Photography: 11%

Visits

For several years, the number of visitors to Norwegian museums and collections has shown a growing trend.  This year, the total number of visitors rose to 8.9 million, of whom 4.7 million paid an entrance fee.  The average price for a museum visit is NOK 40.- for an adult and NOK 20.- for a child, although there is variation from county to county.  87 of the museums offered free entry throughout the year, while 187 museums provided a free season or free single days.

A new question asked this year related to the provision of access to visitors with a physical handicap.  121 institutions replied stating they provide such access, 136 do not, and 144 institutions provide partial access.  It was left to the museums themselves to assess the extent of such access, although the assumption is that those who responded in the affirmative have adapted their premises to the use of wheelchairs.

As in previous years, it has been difficult for some of the libraries to distinguish between child/young person and adult visitors.  In cases of doubt we have recorded the number of individual visitors as adults since they make up the largest visitor group.

2.8 million visits by children and young persons are recorded, but as mentioned this number is probably on the low side.  868,785children and young persons participated in organised educational programmes, and of these 275,642 took part in activities connected with the national initiative for professional art and culture in education in Norway (“Culture in the Classroom”). 

Exhibitions    

145 museums recorded fixed opening hours throughout the year.  The total number of open days was 57,400, with an average of six open hours on each of these.  In all there were 2,882 exhibitions, representing a drop from 2003 when there were 3,124 exhibitions.  This year there was also a question asked about Internet exhibitions, and as many as 145 of these were recorded by the museums, a number that will probably also increase in the coming years.  By an Internet exhibition is meant an exhibition created especially for the Internet.  Another question related to whether the collections were accessible through an Internet search, and the number of hits there had been to the home pages.  The responses here appeared somewhat uncertain and have therefore not been included in the published statistics.

Full-time equivalents

The number of full-time equivalents employed shows a marked rise, with 3,914 full-time equivalents in 2004 as against 3,410 full-time equivalents in 2003.  There has been an increase in all categories of employment, except for the conscientious objectors.  Volunteer workers represented 435 full-time equivalents, a figure that is increasing every year.  There is also a considerable number of part-time employees because most of the museums require extra staffing during summer.

Finances

The template for recorded financial information was altered in order to harmonise with the record form of the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, and there were also many more questions asked about financial matters.  From the responses received it would appear that the museums have adapted well to the new questions on finance.  The museums’ own earnings represented 35% of total income, which is a slight increase from the previous year when their own earnings represented 33% of total income.  The museums’ own earnings are made up of ticket sales, sponsorships and other earnings.  Total income was NOK 2,363 million in 2004, and total operating expenditure amounted to NOK 2,240 million, half of which was spent on salaries and pension contributions.  Museum running costs per head of population vary from county to county; the county of Akershus in 2004 recorded the lowest running costs of NOK 111.- per head of population, whereas the museums in Oslo, which include the two large university museums, spent NOK 1,288.- per head of population.

Security and preservation measures

From the statistical survey on museums, The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority receives reports of fires, threatened fires, thefts and attempted thefts in the museums.  The table below provides an overview of cases reported since 1999.  Here it appears that the numbers from 2002-2003 were particularly low.

                                    Fires/Threatened fires             Thefts/Attempted Theft
1999                                        17                                                        39
2000                                        13                                                        42
2001                                        14                                                        29
2002                                        10                                                        32
2003                                        10                                                        35
2004                                        13                                                        40