2. Data is the Sixth Sense
From pew to Pew
Every generation gets the gurus it craves… and there’s a 40%
chance there named Dan!
The United States of Metrics. New York Times. Sunday May 18,
2015
3. Context: Public Sector
Governments are faced regularly faced with
tough funding choices. Policy makers have to
weigh the merits of investing in different
projects….most people will tell you libraries
are a good thing, but decision makers need
more. They need a solid, robust case for
investment.
Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries. The landmark study of the socio-economic
Victorian public libraries. 2011.
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/dollars-sense-public-libraries-summary-
report_1.pdf
4. City of Toronto’s Budget Priorities
• Core priorities for the City of Toronto are to
improve customer service, be more transparent
and accountable, and reduce the size and cost of
government.
– Emphasis on
• Key performance measures
• Alternate revenue streams
• Toronto Public Library participated in the City of
Toronto Core Service Review of Library Service
2011
5. Background: Research in best practices
in municipal funding models
• Partnered with Institute on Municipal Finance
and Governance: Monk School of Governance
to present a session sponsored by the TD
Bank Group
Shared Spaces: Funding and Managing
Libraries and Parks in Tough Times
Speaker:
Shiobhan Reardon: Director Free Library of Philadelphia
6. Results of Economic Value of the Free Library of Philadelphia
– Libraries prepare our workforce, by teaching over 24,000 children and
adults to read where 50% of the working population in functionally
illiterate
– Libraries connect people to jobs and careers, serving as the vehicle for
979 Philadelphians finding jobs, resulting in $30 million in wages in
one year and generating $1.2 million annually in city wage tax in a City
– Libraries grow businesses, with 8,630 businesses starting or improving
because of help received at the Free Library.
– Libraries enrich neighborhoods, creating $698 million in home values
and generating $18.5 million annually in property tax revenue for the
city.
7. Context: Toronto Public Library Study
Responds to motions by the Library Board and City Council
Toronto Public Library Board
That the City Librarian undertake a study on the economic impacts and benefits of Toronto
Public Library and the role of public libraries in economic development
Toronto City Council
That the Chief Librarian prepare a cost-benefit analysis of the Open Hours Policy and the
economic impact of Library services and provide a report to the City Manager for review
and report prior to the 2014 budget process.
8. Context for the Study
Demonstrate Toronto’s Public Library’s support for
City directions in concrete terms:
– Collaborating for Competitiveness: A Strategic Plan for
Accelerating Economic Growth and Job Creation in
Toronto (City of Toronto 2013)
– Creative Capital Gains: An Action Plan for Toronto (City
of Toronto 2011)
– City of Toronto Middle Childhood Strategy (City of
Toronto 2012)
10. Process to develop the study
• Identified funding from the Toronto Public Library
Foundation
• Issued Request for Proposal for research partner
• Selected Martin Prosperity Institute as partner
– Conducted Literature review of valuation studies in the
library/public sector
– Established valuation methodology
– Completed analysis
– Reviewed Toronto Public Library results in the context of other
studies
• Communicated study results
11. So Much More:
The Economic Impact
of the Toronto Public
Library on the City
of Toronto
December 9, 2013
12. Methodology
MPI followed a thorough,
comprehensive approach
to calculating the
economic impact of TPL
services.
The Martin Prosperity Institute
conducted the study for the
Toronto Public Library using
accepted valuation
methodologies commonly used in
the library and public sector and
standard library statistics
collected for international and
Canadian benchmarks. The study
examined the economic impact of
the Toronto Public Library from a
number of lenses, building on
methodologies of other studies
and introducing new measures to
value library space.
12
13. Methodology
Total economic impact includes:
• Direct spending – impact of money flowing
through the institution – operations, capital,
employment, materials
• Direct tangible benefits- benefits of services
that can be reliably estimated
• Indirect tangible benefits – the multiplier
effect of direct spending and re-spending as
money flows through the economy
14. How value $$ was calculated
Direct benefits:
• The market value of library services used
annually including collections, programs,
technology access, reference and database
services, and meeting and study space
• For collections two scenarios were used
• Retail value at 20% of actual value
• Full retail value with the assumption that reading a
book once is the equivalent of owning or it is not
available
15. How value $$ was calculated
Indirect Tangible Benefits
• The impact of re-spending of dollars within
the local economy using a multiplier in the
range of 1.4-2.0 as applied by Statistics
Canada and other recent economic studies
20. 20
Return on Investment
ROI is 463%
The return from the City of Toronto’s
investment in the Toronto Public Library is
463%, which is the midpoint of a range very
conservatively estimated to be 244% and is
comfortably shown to reach 681%.
21. Intangible benefits deliver value
Opportunities for residents to
improve their literacy skills,
enhance their educational and
employment opportunities,
and improve quality of life for
themselves and their families
through library collections,
services and programs deliver
a lifetime of value to residents
and increase the economic
competitiveness and prosperity
of Toronto.
22. Neighbourhood Branches Provide
Communities Intangible Benefits
22
“Cities that promote diversity and tolerance also
tend to become places that are open to new ideas
and different perspectives, promoting creativity.
This in turn builds cities that are attractive to
individuals and businesses involved in the creation
of new ideas, products and services.”
The Importance of Diversity to the Economic and
Social Prosperity of Toronto, MPI, 2010
23. 23
Results in Context
ROI is 463%
The return from the City of Toronto’s
investment in the Toronto Public Library is
463%, which is the midpoint of a range very
conservatively estimated to be 244% and is
comfortably shown to reach 681%.
24. What were working on
Quantitative Program Evaluation
Toronto Library Settlement
Partnerships (LSP) Program
Evaluation Report
2013-2014
27. Data Governance Framework
Data Architecture
Tools and Technology
Processes and
Practices
Governance
Metrics
Policies, Principles and
Standards
Organization
Data
governance
framework