Tips for Member Libraries for Completing the Annual Report

Each year, all MHLS member libraries are required to complete the Public & Association Library Annual Report.

Completing the Report

The official 2024 report questions & instructions are still being finalized. This page reflects the most recent known updates.

Resources & Tips for Completing

Need your login information? Contact Laura Crisci, MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator.

Below are resources and tips to help member libraries complete the report, including a link to informational packets with statistical and financial data for each library.

Printing the Report

To print the report with page numbers, click on the Printer icon in the menu at the top of the page, go to “Show Web Report” and then Control-P for Print.

Tips by Report Section

New for the 2024 Report

• The Baker & Taylor interface has a new look
• The report now saves automatically after every new entry or change.
• Multiple users can now view and edit reports at the same time. When logging in, you will receive a pop-up message notifying you if someone else is also using the report to enable coordination.
• View historical data right in the report. All questions, including those in repeating groups, can now display last year’s entry as well as the 5 years preceding that (by clicking History). Note: only this and last year’s entries are able to be printed.

Section 1

Q 1.49 Report of Unusual Circumstances – This question asks “has the library experienced any unusual circumstance(s) that affected the statistics reported (e.g., natural disaster, fire, closed for renovations, massive weeding of collection, etc.)? If yes, please annotate explaining the circumstance(s) and the impact on the library using the Note.”

Additional criteria you can add to this list could be:

• start of a new library director
• closed for extreme weather
• construction on roads around library
• loss of programming staff
• loss of funding for programs
• global pandemic

Section 2

• Questions 2.13 – 2.28 have been deleted. All data for electronic materials will be reported in a newly added Section 5.
• Vox & Wonderbooks – report these items in Q 2.15 Other Circulating Physical Items
• Museum Passes – report these items in Q 2.15 Other Circulating Physical Items

Section 3

• “N/A” should not be used for reporting in this section.
  • Use 0 (zero) if no programs within a category were offered/attended
  • Use M (Missing) programs were offered/attended but that data is not available.
• Q3.23 & 3.28 – answers should match
• Q3.29 live online program sessions that are recorded and posted online later should be reported here. Plays of audio recordings should also be reported here.
• Make & Takes – count each kit prepared as one session (Q3.31), and each kit picked up as one attendee (Q3.32)
• New Questions 3.34 – 3.34e these questions capture social media use
• Q3.59 Combined Audience Programs are programs aimed at both children aged birth through five years and parents or caregivers of children aged birth through five years

Section 4

• Museum Passes – report under Q4.8, Circulation of Adult Other Materials, or Q4.9, Circulation of Children’s Other Materials
• Questions 4.12-4.16 have been deleted.
• New Question 4.13 – does the library offer automatic renewals
• Q4.14 Reference Transactions include scheduled and unscheduled sessions
  • Passport applications report as reference question
  • Do not include: formal instruction or simple directional/information exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements should not be.
    • Formal instruction should be counted as a program
    • Simple directional/informational information does not meet the threshold of a reference transaction
• E-Rate questions have been moved to this section. You can visit this site, and search for your library.  MHLS does not apply for E-rate Benefits for member libraries as part of a consortia, so the answer to 4.19 would be “no.”

Section 5

• Questions 5.1 to 5.6 and 5.10 to 5.12 have been deleted and restructured as 22 new questions. These were added by IMLS and will be required to be answered for the 2025 report. They are voluntary for the 2024 report.
• MHLS provides some data to help you answer these questions. Libraries will need to add to the MHLS provided figures data on Electronic books, Electronic Serials & Electronic Audio purchased:
  • directly by the library
  • through the library’s county library association
• Q 5.3, 5.6, 5.9, 5.12, 5.15 & 5.18: these questions refer to NOVELny
  • NYS doesn’t currently provide access to e-books, e-serials, e-audio ,or e-video. Q5.3, 5.6, 5.9, & 5.12 have been prefilled with “No” and locked.

Section 6

• All questions refer to PAID staff.
• Q6.1 FTE Calculation – this should be at least 30 and no more than 40 hours per week.

Section 7

• Reach out to Laura Crisci, MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator, if you need guidance on this section or think your library may be falling short of any of the standards.

Sections 8 & 9

• If only one service outlet, the answers in Q8.13 & Q9.15 should match.
• Q9.15 should be at least 52 times the answer provided in Q8.6

Section 10

• Entries should reflect Officers and Board Members as of February 1 of the CURRENT year (2025)
• All term expiration dates need to be at least March of the current year
• All libraries (except Association Libraries) must have a date for each trustee regarding when the Oath of Office was taken & filed.
  • The number of board member records needs to be the same as the number of board member voting positions prefilled in Q 10.3 /10.4.
• Q10.6 – This question covers all persons serving as trustees as of December 31, 2024. If any trustees did not meet the annual trustee education requirements, reach out to Laura Crisci, MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator for assistance in drafting your library’s explanation note.
• List of Officers & Board Members: Trustee information has been pre-filled with prior year answers but not locked.
  • delete former trustees, add new ones, and update position titles, dates and make any other needed changes. You may:
    • enter the data for the Officers and Board Members directly into the survey -OR- send Baker and Taylor the data for this section to be uploaded into CollectConnect. If you choose to send your data for uploading, you must enter the data into the spreadsheet form available here and email it to collectconnect@baker–taylor.com
• For Vacant positions on the board, select “Vacant” from the Status drop down box, and fill in N/A for all other questions

Sections 11, 12, 13 & 14

• Check out the MHLS Quick Reference Guide
• Q12.7 Report operating expenditures for electronic (digital) content the library pays for (includes e-books, e-serials, e-audio, e-video, databases, online learning platforms, reference tools, scores, maps, and pictures in electronic or digital format)
• Q12.8 Report operating expenditures for physical units of other materials, such as microform, audio CDs, DVD, circulating portable electronic devices, and materials in new formats
• Q12.45 refers to a separate capital fund (held in a separate account from operating funds)
  • If YES complete section 14.
• The answers in the following questions must match:
  • Q11.22 must match Q14.8
  • Q11.25 must match Q12.39 on prior year’s report (unless the library’s fiscal year has changed)
  • Q11.26 must match Q12.40
  • Q12.35 must match Q13.8
  • Q13.13 must match Q14.12