Cites & Insights 13:5 (May 2013) now available

The May 2013 issue of Cites & Insights (volume 13, number 5) is now available for downloading at http://citesandinsights.info

[If you want a shorter URL, http://cical.info will also work.]

The two-column PDF version is 28 pages long.

The 6x9" single-column version, designed and optimized for e-reading, is 60 pages long.

Unless you plan to print out the issue, the single-column version may be preferable: the issue includes 31 graphs, each of which is nearly twice as large (40% wider, 40% taller) in that version, frequently with more detail. The issue consists of one essay:

Libraries: The Mythical Average Public Library

There is no such thing as the average library. That may be obvious--but you might be surprised at just how far away from average most measures for most libraries are. For that matter, for any derivative measure, which average is average?

This essay discusses averages and a few low-level statistical terms, then shows where American public libraries stand--not only for 2010 (the most recent IMLS data) but for changes from 2009 to 2010. I believe you'll find it revealing and interesting.

Announcement links now go to the home page, where I hope you'll note "Pay what you wish" before going on to the issue itself.