Summary

Introduction

The National Statistical Institute has asked for the library statistic to be carried out by virtue of the government presidency order of 23 December 1959. This statistic is elaborated in accordance with UNESCO recommendations that feature in the recommendation on the international standardisation of library statistics approved by the UNESCO General conference in their sixteenth meeting in 1970. Since 1986 a project has been developed every two year. Beginning in the year 2002, some changes have been introduced, such as the use of a new definition of library based on ISO Standard 2789, the establishment of a new classification of library types, and the going into greater depth in the research on the implementation of information and communications technologies in libraries.

The objectives of this statistic are: to provide information on physical and human equipment in libraries, to measure the biannual variations that occur in this activity, to evaluate the finance that goes to this activity and finally to facilitate international comparability which is carried out via filling in questionnaires from international institutions (UNESCO, EUROSTAT, IFLA).

The investigation was extended to all Spanish libraries, with the exception of school and private libraries whose use is not permitted to the public even under special conditions. It includes national libraries, central autonomous community and public libraries for specific user groups (non-specialised), higher education and specialised institutions.

Methodology

Among the fundamental objectives of this statistic the following may be mentioned: to provide information relative to physical and human library equipment, to measure biannual variations that occur in library activity, to evaluate the finance that goes to this activity and to facilitate international comparability.

The scope of the statistic is made up by all libraries in Spain whatever their administrative dependence except private libraries whose use is not permitted to the public and school libraries. The reference of the statistic is the natural year although for determined characteristics their situation is requested to 31 December of the year investigated.

The analysis unit is the library, whose definition is the following (ISO Standard 2789): library is understood to mean any organisation or part of an organisation whose main objective is to bring together and maintain an organised collection of documents and facilitate the use of information resources with the objective of meeting the information, investigative, educational, cultural or recreation needs of users.

For statistical purposes the library is considered to be the administrative unit, in other words any independent library or group of libraries that has the same address or just one administration and as a service point for any library that provides services to users in separate premises both if this is independent and if it forms part of a group of libraries that makes up an administrative unit.