Speaking Volumes

Today is World Statistics Day!  Who even knew that such a day existed?  I must admit, I like statistics.  I find them fascinating.  A long time ago in a world far away, I taught statistics.  I can say with complete confidence, ANY one can do statistics and understand statistics.  Sure, there is a point where the formulas build to an extent that give most sane people a headache, but most people never, ever need to get to that point.
 
In fact, people use statistics all the time!  We use them in cooking, we use them in conversation, we use them with our budgets, but we don’t often think about that way.  Being a librarian, I like library statistics:
 
- There are more than 15,000 public libraries in the U.S., that’s more than McDonalds.

-  Americans spend nine times as much on home video games (1.5 billion) as they do on school library materials for their children.

- Only 40% o the public access the Internet at home.

-Americans make some 3.5 billion visits to school, public, and college libraries each year, that’s about 3 times the attendance at movie theaters.

-U.S. public library cardholders outnumber Amazon customers by almost 5 to 1.
 
In Columbia,  for 2009-2010,
 
-  We circulated 6,925 items more than last year,  that increase in circulation is more than the number of  law suit’s filed against BP.
 
- Our total circulation for 09-10 was more than there are possible ways of playing the first two turns of a chess game.  (There are 72,084 ways of playing the first two turns,  our total circ. was  73,343.)
 
- We offered 6 book groups and 87 story times,  that’s more story time days than Jules Verne suggested days to  travel around the world.
 
I know not every one shares my interest in statistics.  I also have heard, a lot, statistics lie.   It’s true, one can lie with statistics, BUT only to people who don’t know statistics!
 
Want to know more statistics or more about statistics?  You should check out the library!!
 
 
Calculated risks : how to know when numbers deceive you / Gerd Gigerenzer. ; 
 
 

Math to know : a mathematics handbook / Mary C. Cavanagh.
 
 


The numbers game : the commonsense guide to understanding numbers in the news, in politics, and in life / by Michael Blastand, Andrew Dilnot. ;