Tag Archives: technology

Libraries urged to participate in 2011-2012 PLFTAS survey

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Drum roll, please……the 2011-12 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) survey is now live and ready for your valuable input. Last year, the survey had a record-topping 86.5% response rate, with participation from over 8,400 urban, suburban, and rural libraries in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

We thank you for your participation in the past and hope that you will continue to participate in this important survey. The high response rate provides the greatest impact for advocacy efforts at the local, state, and national levels.

The PLFTAS is the largest and longest-running (since 1994) study of public library Internet connectivity. As technology has changed since the beginning of the study, so has the survey evolved to capture the most current snapshot of the technology resources brokered by our libraries and the funding that enables free public access to these resources.  With feedback from libraries and the PLFTAS Advisory Committee, this year’s survey has been updated and streamlined, most significantly in the funding section.

Why is your participation so important?  Data from the study will help your library identify the impacts of the your library’s public computer and Internet access on the community, and support efforts to inform and educate stakeholders – policymakers, foundations, elected officials, trustees, and the media – about the value of libraries and issues related to sustaining public library technology services. To help with messaging and advocacy, we’ve developed PR templates, issue briefs and state summaries that provide succinct messages for use on behalf of libraries.

In addition to the launch of the PLFTAS survey, what other monumental events have taken place on September 6 (per Wikipedia)? In 1492, Columbus left the Canary Islands for his first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1522, the only surviving ship of Magellan’s expedition returned to Spain, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the world. And in 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking a record that stood for 56 years. Let’s be like Cal and break another record with a 90% response rate for the 2011-2012 survey! Libraries need all the muscle they can gather to continue to circle the bases with their advocacy messages.

On-line resources available to help libraries plan e-reader lending programs

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A question about the availability of downloadable e-books was added to the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study in 2006. At that time, 38.3 percent of libraries reported offering the service. In the results for the 2010-2011 study, that number increased to over 67 percent.

New to this year’s survey, we learned that nearly 28 percent of libraries provide mobile devices (e-readers, netbooks) for check-out to patrons. In the 2011-2012 survey (launching September 6), e-readers have earned a solo survey category, and no doubt there will be an uptick on libraries reporting availability.

Is your library considering an e-reader lending program, but don’t know where to start? Help is here and more is on the way.

Rob Caluori, IT manager for the Westchester (NY) Library System recently gave a presentation on starting an e-reader program that proved to be so popular he converted it into a web video for repeat performances. We’re certain you will feel much more confident moving forward after watching Starting a Successful eReader Lending Program @ your library.

At 1 p.m. CDT on Sept. 21, the Public Library Association (PLA) will host a live, hour-long webinar, Check out E-Readers! Sacramento Public Library Did It and You Can Too!, as part of PLA’s “Public Libraries at Work” monthly webinar series.

The Sacramento (CA) Public Library (SPL) recently received a grant from the California State Library to form a partnership with Barnes & Noble and develop a plan to check out e-readers to the public.

Five panelists from SPL will share how they built the e-reader loan program from the ground up. Webinar participants will gain insight on the unique challenges of collection, copyright and CIPA, staff training, marketing and assessment, as well as receive tips to successfully implement a similar program at their libraries.

 

California libraries move forward during downturn

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In tandem with the trip to San Diego for ALA Midwinter conference, we scheduled visits to three libraries in the area. The visits will provide descriptive data for the qualitative component of the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study. The 2009-2010 study features libraries in Arizona and Tennessee. California and Oklahoma are the two states we will source for the 2010-2011 report.

Welcomed at the SDPL by (l-r) Paul Bareno, Michael McCulley, and Rosemary Diciedue.

While we would love to visit all the participating libraries, that’s just not possible. In addition to the site visits, interviews with libraries have also taken place on the phone and via a virtual focus group. The participants include rural, urban, and suburban libraries from around the state.

Our first day in California, we walked a few sunny blocks to the San Diego Public Library (Central Library). First thing we saw entering was the welcome sign and welcoming staff at the central reference desk.

Brian Ruark, San Diego Public Library

Our guide for the visit was Brian Ruark, Technology Resource Program Manager. Unlike the people behind him in the photo, Brian is not waiting for a computer. Prominently nested amongst Brian’s many responsibilities is planning the technology infrastructure for the new Central Library under construction.

Next day we headed north to the Encinitas Community Library, one of 33 branches of the San Diego County Library. We got there a little early, and had a chance to talk with a few of the people waiting for the library to open. “Comfy place” and “great staff” were typical comments.

Jackie Dzugan, Encinitas Community Library

Before sitting down to interview Library Director José Aponte, we had the pleasure of touring the library with Jackie Dzugan, head of adult services. In addition to the great tour, she recommended the most fabulous place for lunch: Lotus Café. You can always count on librarians for the best information!

Our final site visit was the Chula Vista Public Library with Director Betty Waznis. It was very gracious of Betty to meet with us, as it turned out to be quite a tough day at the library. Due to continuing funding cuts, it was the last day for 1/3 of the staff. Out the on floor, you would never know what was going on behind the scenes. The spacious library had activity going on in every corner: lots of activity at the reference desk, visitors taking advantage of Wi-Fi, and full public computers in the adult and children’s sections.

Busy, as usual, at the public computers at the Chula Vista Public Library Civic Center Branch

Right after we left town, Governor Brown announced the massive proposed library budget cuts. What’s ahead? The legislative and advocacy committee of the California Library Association were scheduled to meet in Sacramento on January 21 to develop the response plan to the governor’s proposal. If our CA colleagues have any comments or updates on the situation, we’d love to have you share here.

It takes a village to raise a study

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Kim Olsen-Clark, American Library Association and Sandra Hughes-Hassell, University of North Carolina.

The Advisory Committee for the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) is made up of staff from libraries, regional systems, and library chapters from across the country. The committee assists in a number of key areas, including issue identification, survey question development, providing perspectives on study findings, and recommendations for dissemination.

Volunteers, such as those on the PLFTAS committee, tend to be the busiest of the busiest. In addition to their job responsibilities, many also serve on other committees at the local, state, and national levels. In light of that, we were pleased to have so many of our committee members (and guests) able to attend our Midwinter meeting, either in-person or via conference call.

Martín Gómez, Los Angeles Public Library, reviewing the PLFTAS report with Cathleen Bourdon, American Library Association.

The PLFTAS team is grateful to the continuing commitment of the Advisory Committee: Stacey Aldrich (California State Library), Nancy Ashmore (Prairie du Chien Memorial Library), Robert Bocher (Department of Instruction, Wisconsin State Library), Linda Crowe (Peninsula Library System), John D. “Danny” Hales, Jr. (Suwannee River Regional Library), Sandra Hughes-Hassell (CORS Representative, University of North Carolina), Christopher Jowaisas (Texas Library Association), Charlie Parker (Tampa Bay Library Consortium), Rivkah Sass (Sacramento Public Library), Mary Ann Stiefvater (Division of Library Development, New York State Library).