The due date for the 2011 National Survey of Public Library Funding and Technology Access has been extended to November 18.
The 2011 PLFTAS survey is in its tenth week in the field. The current national response rate is 47% – more than halfway to the goal of 60%! But, Vermont only has a 35% response rate, so far. We continue to need your help and support for this important data collection effort to make sure we meet that 60% goal both nationally and within the state by the time the survey closes on November 18.
Libraries participating in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Hardware Grant Program are required to participate in the survey, but all Vermont public libraries are encouraged to submit data. Vermont libraries should complete both Parts 1 and Part 2 of the survey.
The survey portal is http://www.plinternetsurvey.org . The login you use for this survey is the same as the one you use for the Annual Public Library Report and Standards Application. It will look something like VT0XXX. Once you are at the website, you can get FAQs and other support, and then complete the survey. You can download PDF versions of the survey from the survey website if you want to see the questions before starting the Web survey.
Follow this link to see some of the incredibly valuable data to which you will have access if we have a 60% completion rate:http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/analysis .
Here you can see the range of publications, articles and other materials that can be very useful to you in your advocacy and community education as you show the importance of technology in public libraries today. But the analysis is only as good as the data that is submitted. Our libraries have to do their part in providing the information.
The goal of the project is to be able to analyze data for all 50 states plus DC. For up-to-date and real-time reports of survey completion within Vermont, please go tohttp://plftas.pnmi.com/states/. You can either select Vermont or any other state from the map, or use the “select a state” drop down menu. Each state’s “dashboard” shows you the current survey completion rate as broken down by metropolitan status (urban, suburban, and rural library branches) as well as our state’s overall completion rate. The dials show how close we are to meeting our 60% goal in each category.
Please complete this valuable survey, so we will have statewide data to share with funders and decision makers. Remember, we must have a statewide response rate of 60% to have this analysis done for Vermont.
Thanks for all your good efforts.
Rob Geiszler
Library Development Consultant
Vermont Department of Libraries
271 North Main Street
Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 786-3839
Cell: 661-8615
rob.geiszler@state.vt.us