[Publib] Posting about Internet survey

[Beverly Choltco-Devlin My]

Hi everyone, As you may or may not know, this survey has been conducted biennially for the past decade. I was and have been a member of the advisory committee that assisted in the development of the survey (I only tested the web portion).  I will collect and forward your comments on to the researchers to help inform them about issues concerning the current survey and development of posssible future surveys.
Best regards to everyone, 
Beverly
 
  
Beverly Choltco-Devlin
Reference Specialist
Mid-York Library System
1600 Lincoln Avenue
Utica, NY 13502
voice:  315-735-8328 ext. 240
fax:    315-735-0943

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Nann Blaine Hilyard" <nbhilyard at zblibrary.org>
Date:  Tue, 5 Dec 2006 08:07:58 -0600

> 
>I concur with Jim.  It was a pretty complicated survey that required me
>to crunch numbers differently -- but that was on the paper form.  The
>online form that I got did not ask for all the information that the
>paper form did.  (I presume there are a couple of versions of the
>survey.)
>
>Nann
>@the library in Zion, Illinois 
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
>[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of James Casey
>Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 7:31 AM
>To: kgs at bluehighways.com; publib at webjunction.org
>Subject: RE: [Publib] Posting about Internet survey
>
>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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