Inflation and U.S. Public Libraries: Three Approaches for Measuring Inflation in Historical Data

Abstract Inflation is a perennial societal issue in the U.S., especially for third sector agencies like public libraries. This study finds three approaches that can be used to measure inflation in public library data. These approaches are distinguished by their degree of abstraction. They are (1) specific, (2) middle-range, and (3) general. Each approach is used for particular situations for certain tasks and knowledge. This study explains and illustrates the approaches by applying them to actual datasets. These strategies serve as important tools for those interested in examining inflation in the context of public libraries in the U.S.