Academic
A survey reported in 1976 of the libraries in the largest private and largest public college/university in each state of the continental U.S. (sample size: 100 [sic]; responding: 79 or 79%) showed that39% of the respondents reported availability of in-service training, while only 27 respondents (36%) provided supervisory training for [professional] staff members. (Source)
A survey reported in 1983 of circulation professionals in public and academic libraries with more than 50,000 volumes concerning their interest in and use of management data (e.g. loss rates, effectiveness of fines) and the formal methods by which management data was generated (e.g. sampling, statistical tests) (survey size: 200 professionals; responding: 132 or 66%) showed thatthere was more interest in management data itself than in the methods by which it could be generated. Specifically, while 57 (43%) respondents felt “strongly” that use of management data was important for their particular responsibilities, only 41 (31%) felt “strongly” that techniques were likewise important. Further, while 60 (45%) respondents reported they would “definitely” make more use of management data if more were available, only 37 (28%) reported they would “definitely” make more use of techniques to generate management data if information on their use were more easily available. (Source)
Ibid…. showed that, both in order to find management information and to acquaint themselves with the techniques for generating such information, respondents most frequently used and found most helpful the published literature. Specifically, the information sources used in the last year (prior to the survey) in descending order of importance were:
1. professional library literature
2. other literature
3. local and regional workshops
4. ALA conferences
5. formal academic classes
6. ALA preconference programs and workshops
The usefulness of each of these sources of information according to the personal experience of the respondents was (in descending order of importance):
1. professional library literature
2. local and regional workshops
3. other literature
4. formal academic classes
5. ALA conferences
6. ALA preconferences and workshops (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe average monthly time spent by circulation professionals in increasing their awareness of management data or the techniques for generating such data was as follows (including both personal and professional time):
no hours per month 10 (7.6%) respondents
1-5 hours per month 68 (51.5%) respondents
6-10 hours per month 28 (21.2%) respondents
11-30 hours per month 14 (10.6%) respondents
no answer 12 (9.1%) respondents (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe greatest obstacles to greater use of management data or techniques for generating such data were as follows (in descending order of importance):
1. lack of time
2. lack of appropriate management data
3. lack of training in the formal techniques that could be used to generate management data
4. difficulty in locating appropriate data or sources of skills
5. lack of interest personally (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe 5 most highly ranked areas (out of 12) in which more management data was needed were as follows (in descending order of importance):
1. relationship between collection use and collection development
2. collection loss
3. staff training
4. impact of fines and penalties on book return
5. automation costs vs. manual circulation costs (Source)
Ibid…. showed that circulation professionals felt more strongly about the importance of management data and the methods for generating it than they perceived their institutions felt. Specifically, while 57 (43%) respondents felt “strongly” that the use of management data was important for their responsibilities and 41 (31%) felt “strongly” that formal methods for generating such data were important for their responsibilities, only 38 (29%) felt that their institution attached a “great deal” of importance to either the use of management data or to the methods for generating it. (Source)
A comparison reported in 1983 of 2 surveys of Association of College and Research Libraries members concerning members’ educational attainments (1973 survey—survey size: 300 members; responding: 259 or 86.3%; 1978 survey—survey size: 429 members; responding: 357 or 83.2%) showed thatthe proportion of professionals participating in workshops, short courses, and seminars during the 12-month period preceding each of the surveys increased between the 1973 and 1978 surveys. Specifically:
in 1973, 117 (45.2%) respondents reported no participation, while in 1978, only 75 (21.0%) reported no participation;
in 1973, 129 (49.8%) respondents reported participating in 1-3 events, while in 1978, 217 (60.8%) reported participating in 1-3 events;
in 1973, 11 (4.2%) respondents reported participating in 4-6 events, while in 1978, 51 (14.3%) reported participating in 4-6 events;
in 1973, 2 (0.8%) respondents reported participating in 7 or more events, while in 1978, 14 (3.9%) reported participating in 7 or more events.
Overall, the average number of events per participant rose from 1.1 in 1973 to 2.2 in 1978. (Source)
Ibid…. showed that overall a statistically significantly greater proportion of females participated in workshops, short courses, and seminars than males (difference significant at the .05 level). (Source)
Ibid…. showed that overall more librarians had been enrolled in academic course work during the 12 months prior to the 1978 survey (34.4% respondents) than prior to the 1973 survey (22.2% respondents). Based on the 1978 survey, a statistically significantly greater proportion of females had taken such courses than males (difference significant at the .05 level). (Source)
Public
A survey reported in 1983 of circulation professionals in public and academic libraries with more than 50,000 volumes concerning their interest in and use of management data (e.g. loss rates, effectiveness of fines) and the formal methods by which management data was generated (e.g. sampling, statistical tests) (survey size: 200 professionals; responding: 132 or 66%) showed thatthere was more interest in management data itself than in the methods by which it could be generated. Specifically, while 57 (43%) respondents felt “strongly” that use of management data was important for their particular responsibilities, only 41 (31%) felt “strongly” that techniques were likewise important. Further, while 60 (45%) respondents reported they would “definitely” make more use of management data if more were available, only 37 (28%) reported they would “definitely” make more use of techniques to generate management data if information on their use were more easily available. (Source)
Ibid…. showed that, both in order to find management information and to acquaint themselves with the techniques for generating such information, respondents most frequently used and found most helpful the published literature. Specifically, the information sources used in the last year (prior to the survey) in descending order of importance were:
1. professional library literature
2. other literature
3. local and regional workshops
4. ALA conferences
5. formal academic classes
6. ALA preconference programs and workshops
The usefulness of each of these sources of information according to the personal experience of the respondents was (in descending order of importance):
1. professional library literature
2. local and regional workshops
3. other literature
4. formal academic classes
5. ALA conferences
6. ALA preconferences and workshops (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe average monthly time spent by circulation professionals in increasing their awareness of management data or the techniques for generating such data was as follows (including both personal and professional time):
no hours per month 10 (7.6%) respondents
1-5 hours per month 68 (51.5%) respondents
6-10 hours per month 28 (21.2%) respondents
11-30 hours per month 14 (10.6%) respondents
no answer 12 (9.1%) respondents (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe greatest obstacles to greater use of management data or techniques for generating such data were as follows (in descending order of importance):
1. lack of time
2. lack of appropriate management data
3. lack of training in the formal techniques that could be used to generate management data
4. difficulty in locating appropriate data or sources of skills
5. lack of interest personally (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe 5 most highly ranked areas (out of 12) in which more management data was needed were as follows (in descending order of importance):
1. relationship between collection use and collection development
2. collection loss
3. staff training
4. impact of fines and penalties on book return
5. automation costs vs. manual circulation costs (Source)
Ibid…. showed that circulation professionals felt more strongly about the importance of management data and the methods for generating it than they perceived their institutions felt. Specifically, while 57 (43%) respondents felt “strongly” that the use of management data was important for their responsibilities and 41 (31%) felt “strongly” that formal methods for generating such data were important for their responsibilities, only 38 (29%) felt that their institution attached a “great deal” of importance to either the use of management data or to the methods for generating it. (Source)
Special
A 1975 survey of American Association of Law Libraries members concerning interest in continuing education (survey size: 2,100; responding: 742 or 35%) showed that:
of 723 respondents, 715 (98.9%) reported that there was a need for continuing education in law librarianship;
of 713 respondents, 697 (97.8%) felt that AALL should sponsor continuing education in law librarianship;
of 714 respondents, 292 (40.9%) felt that AALL should sponsor education programs in basic library skills (e.g. cataloging, acquisitions) for people without library school courses, while 422 (59.1%) felt AALL should not sponsor such courses. (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe 8 most frequently mentioned continuing education topics were (multiple responses allowed):
legal bibliography—teaching legal research 279 (37.6%) respondents
public services—new reference tools 272 (36.7%) respondents
administration—budget 253 (34.1%) respondents
microforms—acquisitions and quality control 232 (31.3%) respondents
administration—space utilization 224 (30.2%) respondents
administration—personnel 215 (29.0%) respondents
microforms—microform utilization and reference 215 (29.0%) respondents
public services—reference service 212 (28.6%) respondents (Source)
