2007 Annual Meeting Minutes (June 24)

Present:


Shelby Anfenson-Comeau, Charlotte Dugan, Alexandra Rosen Gagne, Valli Hoski, Hilary Kraus, Kate Mossman, Teresa Omidsalar, Michelle Roubal, Lise Snyder, Jennifer Sweeney, Lynn Thitchener, Lynn Westbrook, Julienne Wood

1. Introductions:


Brief introductions were made.

2. Announcements:


There were no announcements.

3. Survey:


Jennifer Sweeney pointed out that on Question 4 page 2 of the Supervisors Survey she was only allowed to check one box. This will be reported to Anne Behler.

It was decided that the answers to the surveys should reflect the specific library where the person works and not their system or institution as a whole. This point needs to be made clear in the introductory information that accompanies the surveys.

Questions 10, 11, and 12 will be deleted because their responses will not provide us with information that we need.

Jennifer Sweeney will try to consolidate Question 9 so that there are not so many choices.

Question 15, which will appear on the pilot surveys to help us improve them before sending them out to the main sample, will read:

Please help us to improve this survey. Use your browser's back button to page back through the survey.


• Identify any questions you found ambiguous or confusing. Please explain.


• What else would you like to tell us about your orientation and/or training at your library?


• Do you have any other suggestions for us?

4. Discussion of Sampling Group:


The sampling group including members of RUSA, LAMA, ACRL and PLA will be used so that we can get a broad response. Lise will check with Eileen Hardy about what other parameters we can use in creating a sample group, e.g. geographical area. We need to be certain, though, that we start with a large enough group that we end up with a viable number of responses.

Jennifer Sweeney suggested we use the think aloud method for conducting our pilot survey with just a handful of people. This would involve having committee members sit with the survey takers who would “think aloud” as they take the survey and indicate when they are having difficulty understanding questions, etc. In this way we will be able to determine which questions need revision and clarification.

5. Charlotte Dugan will update the bibliography on orientation and training programs.

6. Valli Hoski volunteered to create a wiki to make it easier for us to work between conferences. We also discussed having regular biweekly conference calls.

7. The committee should aim on hosting a preconference at ALA Annual 2009.