Our Solutions
Counting Opinions provides organizations with innovative, comprehensive, cost-effective ways to capture, manage and measure performance data, including open-ended customer feedback, qualitative and quantitative data, trends, benchmarks, outcomes and peer comparisons.
Counting Opinions web-based solutions:
- Are delivered in real-time and provide organizations with valid, immediate, 24x7x365 results.
- Include powerful "click-only" reports that clearly identify actionable opportunities for improvement.
- Are fully hosted in a secure professionally managed facility, require minimal or no IT involvement and work across all browsers and platforms.
Located in Toronto Canada, Counting Opinions has been serving the library community since 2004.
LibPAS is a unique and comprehensive performance data management solution for libraries (academic, public, special, states/provinces, library consortia).
Key Benefits:
- Streamlines the data capture process which saves time and reduces staff burden.
- Displays the data in easy to read report outputs which include tables, graphs, trends, ranking and many other click-only reports.
- Easy to generate reports which help in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the library, informing decision making, community ROI studies, and demonstrating outcomes to key stakeholders.
- Consolidate data into one platform to reduce redundancy, improve consistency, and facilitate sharing between data sets.
LibSat is the first continuous Customer Satisfaction and Feedback Management Solution specifically developed for academic and public libraries.
Key Benefits:
- Using LibSat’s continuous feedback and monitoring capabilities, you can measure shifts in satisfaction, quality, use, importance, referral rates and expectations.
- LibSat automatically captures, processes and presents your customer feedback the way you want, continuously, on-demand, in real-time and directly to who needs it – YOU!
- Inform decision making and measure impact of initiatives.
- LibSat data provides credibility to budget presentations and improved governance.
InformsUs is a web-based tool for the development and implementation of custom forms and surveys. InformsUs is an extension of and fully integrates with our existing library solutions, LibPAS and LibSat.
Key Benefits:
- Easy to use drag and drop survey creation and optional automatic email responses and notifications streamline the process and saves time.
- Enables transactional data capture and integration with LibPAS to compile and analyze summary data.
- Collect feedback forms, survey, and app data on one platform.
The RC App is a flexible online solution for the management of traditional public library summer reading clubs, as well as other reading programs throughout the rest of the year. It consists of both a customizable registration interface to streamline the labor- intensive sign-up process, as well as a customizable participant tracking component for logging reading and other activities to enhance the user experience.
“Eliminating the manual process of registration and tracking, reduced our workload and enabled staff to focus on relationship development which helped to increase participation (+70%) and reduce drop-out rates usually experienced through the summer.” – Markham PL (ON)
Key Benefits:
- Reduces staff administrative workload at registration and for results reporting.
- Enables an unlimited number of reading clubs to be customized and managed, saving money by consolidating services.
- Embed Registration and Activity Tracking forms seamlessly into Library’s website, and employ custom images and graphics for avatars and achievement badges to provide a seamless and custom experience for your patrons.
- Register multiple participants under one account for teachers/parents/daycare providers, etc.
- Integrate with ILS, e.g. pre-populate Registration fields with cardholder data.
- Includes end of Summer Outcomes survey for parents/caregivers.
- Complete security and authentication for library staff access to Reading Club data.
Please visit RCapp.net or contact us at r...@rcapp.net for more information
ROAR
Report/capture data Once and Auto Re-use
ROAR through your statistical reports and submissions with ease and efficiency.
ROAR enables easy...
- Compilation of data for any reporting situation.
- Contribution of data to any surveys housed in LibPAS.
ROAR enhances...
- Staff efficiency and productivity.
- Definitional alignments.
- Data integrity.
ROAR eliminates...
- Repetitive effort compiling data for various internal/external requirements.
- Transposition and calculation errors in survey submissions.
ROAR aligns with...
- Academic: ACRL, IPEDS, ARL, ALLStAR, CARL.
- Public: IMLS PLS, State/Provincial PLS, PLA PLDS, PLA Project Outcome, Grants Management.
- State: COSLA's "Measures that Matter" project.
- Other: Internal/external reporting requirements.
ROAR is an integral feature of Counting Opinion’s comprehensive LibPAS service.
Contact: i...@countingopinions.com
Case Studies
Public Libraries are increasingly employing PLAmetrics to support a wide variety of local operational and advocacy needs.
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ACRLMetrics Simplifying Data Management. The Annual ACRL Survey and IPEDS: The Butler University Libraries Story.
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University of Toronto Libraries, Toronto, ON: An Interview conducted with Lari Langford, Head of Access & Information, Robarts Library, University of Toronto.
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West Chester University, West Chester, PA: An Interview conducted with Richard Swain, Director of Library Services.
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Alachua County Library District: An Interview conducted with Suzi Black, Administrative Services Administrator & Tom Schulte, Automated Services Administrator.
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Pima County Public Library: An Interview conducted with Shawn Flecken, Electronic Resources Librarian.
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San Francisco Public Library: An Interview conducted with Karen Strauss, Assistant Chief of Main.
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Pioneer Library System, Norman, Oklahoma: An Interview conducted with Adriana Edwards-Johnson, Virtual Library Coordinator.
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South Dakota State Library: An Interview conducted with Shawn Behrends, State Data Coordinator.
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Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Boston, MA: An Interview conducted with Dianne Carty, Head of Data, Technology, Construction, and State Aid.
Click here to view
Libraries and Literacy Branch, Ministry of Education, Province of British Columbia, Victoria, BC: An Interview conducted with Susan Laidlaw, Manager; Kyle Armour, Training and Data Coordinator; Mari Martin, Library Consultant.
Click here to view
FAQ
Our subscribers own all data that they add or capture using our services including respondent information captured under the auspices of the subscriber. Counting Opinions has access to library summary data to produce industry-wide comparative benchmarks.
Our subscribers are responsible for establishing their own internal security policies and procedures. Counting Opinions provides authentication mechanisms for secure data access. Each subscriber is responsible for protecting the username and passwords used to access their data.
Individual library customer privacy is governed by any jurisdictional laws and the policies of the subscriber under whose auspices survey respondents provide their data. Counting Opinions only releases data to authorized subscriber representatives.
Counting Opinions stores and processes all data on our secure dedicated servers with multiple redundancies. The servers are housed in professionally managed and secure facilities located in Canada. This eliminates any need for our clients to purchase, install and manage any hardware, software or network infrastructure. There are no capital costs or IT requirements.
Yes. LibPAS enables multiple simultaneous authorized users to generate any number of reports and data views that utilize one, some or all the same metrics. LibPAS also supports document merges with PDF and MS Office Word and Excel files types enabling real-time population of results within documents and websites.
Yes, LibPAS has a built-in metrics matching features that enables data to be copied from one place to another with the push of a button. No more “finishing one report just in time to start the next one.”
Yes, LibPAS offers a variety of user roles that can be assigned in any combination to manage users’ scope of access. For example, if one person located in one library location is responsible for the input of some number of data elements, when that individual logs-in they are presented with a screen that is oriented to their location and only those data elements they are specifically responsible for. This helps to ensure, for example, that sensitive data is only accessible by those that need to know and only certain individuals can see (and not update) certain information.
For those that capture data from multiple individuals and/or across multiple locations, LibPAS provides a robust “status” view to determine and selectively remind (email) select individuals as required.
Aside from the subscription fee, are there additional ongoing training costs associated with LibPAS?
LibPAS includes a knowledge base providing appropriate content that you can customize. This includes instructions (documents, videos, etc.), data definitions, notes and any other information that may be helpful to minimize the need for ongoing training (and related costs) resulting from staff turnover. Your LibPAS subscription also includes on-demand support. Additionally, if ever required, CO provides consulting services to assist subscribers with special projects when local staff are not available to implement. Fees are based on individual requirements.
There are a number of variables. Do you have an existing process for collecting and managing data (e.g., Excel)? Do you have an individual who has some experience with the process of collecting and managing your performance data? Are you able to assign a staff member time to complete the implementation? Do you have a clear idea of what the desired end results are e.g., simplifying the capture and management of particular data outcomes e.g., PLDS, ACRL, ARL, IFLA MetLib, CULC and/or monthly etc. internal data report outcomes?
Note: A great strength of LibPAS is that you can start with a single requirement e.g., an annual reportable data set and then keep adding/leveraging additional requirements as needed/desired. While CO provides its subscribers with “on-demand” support, it does not set a subscriber’s internal priorities and as such, LibPAS implementation timelines can vary. As a general rule of thumb LibSat, InformsUs and the RC App are largely “out of the box” solutions, and while depending upon the level of preparedness, LibPAS generally takes more time for initial set-up (2-3 months).
LibPAS does not ingest raw COUNTER data, however you can track the summary data accumulated across all your sources of such data (whether provided in COUNTER format or not).
The survey instrument itself is free of construct and content bias. We also remove barriers to participation through ongoing (continuous) availability in multiple languages, self selection of survey involvement (regular and in-depth versions), detection and prevention of duplication of responses from multiple consecutive responses from the same respondent, support of phone survey scripts as well as online and paper versions and optional automated same respondent longitudinal follow-ups — these all ensure a richness of quality data that eliminates major sources of bias typically associated with traditional point-in-time surveys. Libraries are certainly free to adopt a traditional methodology that includes random stratified sampling when using our survey instruments but our experience and approach has proven to provide many distinct advantages that eliminates the need for a series of time consuming and limited value results that apply to point-in-time surveying. The key is to ensure that the survey is accessible and available to all on an ongoing and continuous basis that ensures inclusiveness of their voice during the ongoing monitoring and planning processes.
Also a variety of reports are available on-demand to assist in verifying how representative your responses are relative to your existing customer profiles and the population in your local service area. It is then easy to promote responses from those that may be under-represented.
Our standard and custom reports along with our exclusive SQUIRE and OPPORTUNITY Indexes as well as traditional indices, provide insightful information to assist Library management when analyzing results to determine outcomes and set priorities.
One of LibSat’s unique features helps libraries manage, categorize and associate open-ended responses to the appropriate individuals in the library. This helps to ensure that responses can be reviewed immediately upon capture, including tracking of responses, status and any actions taken. The reporting functionality provides both tagging of comments by category and priority … as well as open-ended boolean text search. The ability to assess customer feedback trends over time is very insightful for assessing operational effectiveness and priority setting.
It was extremely costly and impractical for Libraries to conduct and maintain a “continuous improvement program” without ongoing continuous evidence. A point-in-time survey is impractical in this era and self-selected point-in-time surveys, especially those using enticements for participation, are fraught with bias. A major benefit of LibSat is that it has enabled Libraries to immediately identify best practices and opportunities for improvement and measurement of impacts from actions undertaken. Continuous data capture ensures that responses from infrequent users (e.g., “seasonal” customers) are more likely included. Our approach also enables identification of events that impact satisfaction. In fact, our reports enable specific measurements of impacts before and after events/incidents (planned or not) and activities ... and also compared to set target levels for improvement. None of this is feasible using a point-in-time survey or other do-it-yourself online survey services.
This requires a review of the questions/responses and consideration of the viability and comparability of questions/response options. Please note that this additional effort may require custom effort (at additional cost). Contact us for more details.
Yes! Counting Opinions has developed LibSat marketing materials including checklists, a schedule of potential activities and associated communication elements (graphics, posters, bookmarks, banner ads, etc.) This information is available to our subscribers through our Customer Portal.
Yes. Customization is possible on a case-by-case basis after review of the proposed changes. Generally question can be removed, terminology localized, or custom questions can be added. Each of our survey instruments contain core question that cannot be changed. This ensures correct reporting behavior, access to key ratios and consistency for longitudinal, peer comparisons and across language versions (where applicable) . Custom questions can be integrated into questionnaires, including dynamic presentation of questions to respondents, based on responses to earlier questions. CO personnel will help to ensure that new questions are valid (construct and content validity) and will meet your stated objectives. We can also assist with language translations, as necessary. If you have other specific requirements, please let us know. Contact us for more details.
Yes. InformsUs forms can be deployed on a stand-alone basis or in combination with other data. For instance, when using InformsUs to capture transactional data, you can import the periodic (e.g., monthly) summary results into LibPAS. With LibSat, you can link forms and surveys (optionally on a triggered basis or otherwise) to ensure an augmented view of results e.g., capture specific feedback optionally from select users determined based on their responses to standard survey questions. Likewise, InformsUs forms can be linked for an augmented view e.g., capture Outcomes from Reading Club (which is based on the InformsUs platform).
A qualified “yes.” CO is currently in beta field trials with a number of subscribers developing and testing this functionality. If you have a specific need, let’s discuss.
Very early on in the development, we realized that no two libraries approached their summer reading program in the same way and any solution needed to be flexible and customizable. The RC App has been designed so that almost all aspects of the management of summer reading can be customized to a library’s particular local needs.
Yes! The RC App is ILS neutral and can pull data from the ILS to populate fields in the registration form.
Yes! The RC App can be accessed from all browsers and any smartphone/tablet device with a commercially supported mobile browser (e.g., Safari, Chrome, Firefox).
The RC App is a hosted, web-based application (Web App); unlike traditional programs or mobile device-based apps, no downloading is required.
Very. As with many things in the library world, local libraries have many different takes on how they want to implement a program – reading programs are no exception. The RC App has been designed to offer optimal functionality in this regard while simultaneously providing libraries with the ability to assess and morph how they might want to adjust future implementations.
No. You can employ the RC App for as many reading programs and/or book clubs as you wish e.g., teen, adult, winter, etc.
Yes. CO believes that this is an area that offers libraries great potential for demonstrating value with community stakeholders e.g., schools, funders.
Yes. During development, this was one area that libraries repeatedly told us they wanted a solution for. As such, the RC App includes a very robust prize management functionality for both virtual and physical prizes.
Yes. You can use other input devices to capture information in the RC App. Input devices such as bar code, RFID, chip and magnetic-strip readers can be used in conjunction with the RC App. When these readers are connected properly to a device such as a computer, tablet, or mobile phone, information captured through the device (e.g., Library Card No.) is input automatically in the RC Registration Form or Login dialog. We do recommend thorough testing before going live to confirm the correct behavior of the device and information captured.
Please contact s...@countingopinions.com to discuss using an alternative input device.
Yes. Please contact us for details.
Counting Opinions conducts webinar demos.
For an individual webinar demo for your library or to register for one of our group sessions, please contact us directly