CHICAGO - The Public Library Association (PLA) is pleased to announce its new 24x7 portal to the Public Library Data Service (PLDS) Statistical Report, PLAmetrics.

With PLAmetrics, subscribers can access PLDS data collected annually (2006-2011) from public libraries across the United States and Canada and then take advantage of a powerful “click-only” reporting functionality that enables the production/sharing of multiple format data reports for internal management, stakeholder relations and advocacy purposes.

PLAmetrics offers the most efficient, customized and user-friendly way to analyze all the data that PLDS provides on finances, library resources, annual use figures, technology and more. Data can be employed for peer comparisons, benchmarking and/or trend analyses, as well as to meet local, custom needs.

For more information and to purchase a one-year subscription ($250) to the PLDS online database, please go to www.plametrics.org. PLAmetrics is managed by Counting Opinions.

Published annually since 1988, the PLDS Statistical Report presents timely and topical data to assist public library administrators in making informed management decisions. A summary of the 2011 report appears in the September/October 2011 (Volume 50, No. 5) issue of Public Libraries: “The Public Library Data Service 2011 Statistical Report: Characteristics and Trends” by Virgil E. Varvel, Jr.

For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit www.pla.org.  PLA is a division of the American Library Association. PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

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