This standard identifies categories for basic library statistical data reported at the national level, and provides associated definitions of terms. In doing so it deals with the following areas: reporting unit and target population, human resources, collection resources, infrastructure, finances, and services. In addition, the standard identifies new measures associated with networked services, databases, and performance. The standard is not intended to be comprehensive in scope. Instead, it presents a framework for comparable library data by describing common elements pertaining to libraries of various types in the US. It does not address detailed statistics for specific areas where it seems more appropriate for experts in those areas to make recommendations (e.g., music, government documents, maps).
