[PL-Directors] please help with -2012 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey

[Ann Reed]

Dear Directors,

Some of you may have received a request to participate in this year's 2011-2012 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey, funded by the American Library Association and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Please consider helping with this survey, even if you have not been contacted by them.  Oregon currently has a response rates of 7% overall for branches (Part 1 of the survey) and  3% overall for systems (Part 2 of the survey).  Please help before this survey closes November 11.  It needs to hit a 60% participation rate to have any reliable statewide data.  Thank you in advance!

The address for the survey portal is http://www.plinternetsurvey.org<http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/>. The survey support line is 301-405-9445<tel:301-405-9445> and the general survey support e-mail is ipac.umd at gmail.com<mailto:ipac.umd at gmail.com>.


I asked Dr. John Bertot, the chief researcher, to share how the past data has been used to benefit the library community.
Here are some ways your involvement in this survey has helped make a difference:


*         The data from the survey were used extensively and successfully by ALA to support and lobby for continued LSTA funding during the last Congressional session.

*         The data was used with both the FCC and NTIA to get libraries recognized as critical community anchor institutions and thus benefit from Broadband Technology Opportunity Grants as well as Broadband Initiatives Programs as part of the stimulus funding. In addition, they were successful in getting libraries prominently featured in the FCC's National Broadband Plan.

*         The Gates Foundation, along with several state librarians and state library agencies, used the data extensively for their BTOP/BIP applications, and some 15 states were successful in their grant applications, providing libraries with additional workstations, better connectivity, computer labs, and a range of alliances with workforce development and other partners.

*         "At the state level, I was just at a meeting at which several state librarians were present. I'm not sure if you've explored our www.plinternetsurvey.org<http://www.plinternetsurvey.org> site (actually, a new version of the site is about to be loaded in the next couple of days), but if you go to directly to http://plinternetsurvey.org/?q=node/31, you will be able to access a range of content -- issue briefs on Broadband, Community Access, Digital Inclusion, E-government, and Employment; state profiles, state fact sheets, and more.   The state librarians at the meeting all indicated that they used the materials extensively during their legislative sessions, and that having state-based data, handouts, and other content was very  helpful in helping them articulate the role of libraries as public access technology providers, helping people find work, showing how libraries help with government services, and more."  John Bertot


Dr. Bertot went on to indicate that the more data they have, the more they can do the above activities. The project has some additional plans with mapped data (http://plinternetsurvey.org/?q=node/86) and that what's there now is just the beginning. This year, apart from running the survey, their focus is to push as much data out in usable products getting closer to the library level.
Please help with this survey, as they are putting your data to good use.  Thanks!


Ann Reed, Federal Programs Coordinator
Library Development Services
Oregon State Library
250 Winter St.
Salem, OR 97301
ann.reed at state.or.us<mailto:ann.reed at state.or.us>
phone: (503)378-5027
fax: (503)378-6439
http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/pl-directors/attachments/20111011/7c088191/attachment.html>