Dear Colleagues,

The annual survey is officially closed.  Thank you all for participating.  The data you submit is very important not only for us here at the State Library but also at the national level where it is used to advocate for increased library funding. 

Since we are on the topic of the survey I’d like to take the opportunity to talk to you about our Monthly Statistics program.  At the beginning of each year all of you gather your data from the previous year and enter it in the annual survey.  Unless the data is recorded consistently over the course of the year this can be a stressful process. 

To help with this we offer the ability to enter select data into the survey on a monthly basis and then have that monthly data automatically imported into the annual survey at the end of the year.  This functionality has been built into Counting Opinions from the beginning, but currently only a few libraries take advantage of this time-saving program.  I spoke with several library directors that enter their data on a monthly basis and asked them why they do it. 

Phil Israel from Westfield said entering statistics monthly lets him, “get a jump on the annual report” and “cuts down on the time needed to complete the annual survey.” 

Deborah Poillon from Cape May County was able to, “finish up this year’s [annual survey] in a couple of hours, with interruptions, because I enter statistics monthly.” 

MaryAnn Reiner from Monroe Twp. uses the Monthly Statistics at board meetings so her trustees have fresh data to base their decisions on. 

Finally, Tonya Garcia Badillo from Long Branch has five reasons she thinks everyone should enter statistics monthly: “

1.       It saves a significant amount of time inputting the stats monthly, since the numbers are computed and transferred to the state aid report/Annual Survey at the end of year.

2.       Ensures that I have a backup of monthly stats should our network ever crash.

3.       Having this data readily available month to month is critical should we ever be called to know this information immediately (a necessity in today's economic climate).

4.       Having Monthly Statistics ensures that we remain aware of any sudden decline in stats or emerging trends.

5.       Lastly, inputting data monthly rather than at the end of the year encourages accountability. If Library Directors/Supervisors make monthly reporting via Counting Opinions a priority it ensures that statistics remain a priority and that the state aide report/Annual Survey is filed on time.”

Entering Monthly Statistics into Counting Opinions is easy. 

1.       Log into Counting Opinions (http://njsl.countingopinions.com/) with the same username and password you use for the annual survey.

2.       Click the blue Enter button.

3.       Select “Monthly Statistics” from the menu in the upper left.

4.       Select the correct month and year from the Period menu.   

After that you may begin entering statistics.  You can enter data for as many or as few questions as you want (we recommend starting with Part 5 – Circulation or Part 7 – Library Services).  When you are finished entering the month’s data you may click the Submit and Lock Survey button in the top right of the survey.  Please note that in order for your statistics to be imported into the annual survey all 12 months must be entered by mid-January of the following year.

We hope that you will try entering Monthly Statistics and that it will be as useful for you as it is for the libraries that are already using it.  If you have any questions about Monthly Statistics or the survey in general please contact me.

Best regards,

Bob Keith
Data Coordinator
New Jersey State Library
185 W State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625
P: 609-278-2640x192
F: 609-278-2652
rkeith@PROTECTED