Keith Curry Lance is a Consultant with the RSL Research Group based in suburban Denver, Colorado. He was the founding Director of the Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library and the University of Denver Library and Information Science Program. For more than twenty years, he has conducted internationally-recognized research on the impact and value of library services; advised state and federal agencies on library data collection; and taught LIS courses, conference sessions, and continuing education workshops on research and statistics-related topics. Keith will have two presentations at the 2009 VLC.

The LJ Index of Public Library Service Output: Vermont's Status and Next Steps

In early 2009, Library Journal began publishing the LJ Index of public library service output, based on per-capita levels of visits, circulation, program attendance, and public Internet computer use. In this session, participants will learn how Vermont public libraries fared on this new index and why, and discuss steps a library can take to improve its LJ Index rating.

Power Librarianship: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing the Impact of School Libraries and Librarians

Since 1990, there have been approximately 20 studies of the impact of school libraries and librarians on students' academic achievement. In this session, participants will learn about the research behind several proven strategies for increasing the impact of a school library or librarian on the learning process and resulting test scores, and discuss Vermont examples of these strategies.

Visit Keith's website for more information