[Publib] Posting about Internet survey

[James Casey]

Karen:

It is regrettable that this survey had several pages (out of the total
of a dozen or so) where the inputting of specific budget figures was
required.  In other words, it is a matter seeking out the numbers,
calculating what is required and putting it in several dozen blanks
where the comparative data is reported.  Most library budgets may not
have such precise numbers such as those required by the survey
immediately at hand.  Specific figures required by the survey would have
to be separated out from the more general budget lines required by
auditors.  To the best of my reckoning, the survey would require several
hours to complete rather than the 25 minutes you estimate.  Busy Public
Libraries already have plenty of time consuming surveys required by
state libraries, PLA, local organizations and other agencies (e-rate)
that are tied to specific funding objectives for those being asked to
invest several hours of valuable staff time.  We simply cannot do all of
the surveys that cross our desks.  

I'm not against doing surveys in general and applaud important research
objectives that may not have a precise and immediate funding objective.
However, having prepared such surveys for my dissertations and
elsewhere, I realize that a decent response rate will only be achieved
if designers of the questionnaires are realistic about the amount of
time and effort required of the respondents to complete the paperwork. 

James B. Casey --- My own views
Director of the Oak Lawn Public Library
ALA Council Member


-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of K.G. Schneider
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 8:17 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Posting about Internet survey

A national survey of public library computer and Internet access was
mailed
to public libraries last week. The study is funded by the American
Library
Association and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and conducted by
researchers from Florida State University's Information Use Management
and
Policy Institute, and builds on research conducted since 1994.  More
information on this and previous studies is available at
http://www.ii.fsu.edu/plinternet/.
The survey is web-based and has a total of 21 questions that will take
you
about 25 minutes to complete.  PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY BY FEBRUARY 1,
2007.  You can access the survey at http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/.
You
will need your state assigned Library ID code included in the survey
announcement letter you received to initiate the survey.  If you do not
know
that ID number, you can look it up when you go to the "complete the
survey"
page.  If you have any questions, or need further assistance, please
e-mail
PL2006 at ci.fsu.edu.

The answers you provide will provide public libraries, state library
agencies, the American Library Association, policymakers, and others
with
extremely important data regarding public library computer and Internet
access issues, what it takes to sustain public access computer and
Internet
services in your library, and the impacts of such public access services
on
the communities that your library serves.  

Thank you for your help! 

 
************************************************************************
*
* John Carlo Bertot, Ph.D.                        Phone: (850) 644-8118
*
* Professor                                         Fax: (850) 644-4522
*
* College of Information                         Email: jbertot at fsu.edu
*
* Florida State University               http://www.ii.fsu.edu/~jbertot
*
* 101 Shores Building
*
* Tallahassee, FL 32306-2100
*
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