Dear Vermont Librarians,
I am a student at Southern Connecticut State University and a staff member at the Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro, Vermont who is completing a research project for a Masters of Information and Library Science degree.
My thesis is titled “CREATING DIGITAL COLLECTIONS IN VERMONT’S PUBLIC LIBRARIES” and it investigates how small, rural cultural organizations, specifically public libraries in Vermont, can create effective and low-cost digital collections.
I am asking for your participation in a quick survey I have developed and posted online. The survey should take you no more than 15 minutes to complete.
This survey is to determine what digital collections have been created by Vermont libraries, historical societies and museums to date and what support small Vermont libraries need in order to create more digital collections.
For the purpose of this study, digital collections or libraries will be defined as “a physical or digital collection of items, such as manuscripts, photographs, or newspapers, that have been converted into digital files, on a searchable website with adjoining metadata”. This definition does not include vendor provided audio book and e-book collections or databases of publications.
Please note that your participation in this online survey is voluntary; refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you as a participant are otherwise entitled, and that you may discontinue your participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.
Questions about the research and participants’ rights may also be directed to the SCSU Human Research Protection Program at 203-392-5243.
If you would like to participate, please follow the directions below:
Has your organization created a digital collection to date?
If yes, please answer survey 1 & 2
If no, please only answer survey 2
Survey One: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LTJFN7C
Survey Two: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LNJPXSJ
Please note that you do not have to respond to every question. This survey will be available for four weeks, closing June 15th, 2012.
The survey is anonymous. No individual names or email addresses will be collected or published in the final report. All data collected will be kept on a secure hard drive for three years.
Return of the survey indicates your consent to have your data used in this research.
Thank you very much for your time and participation,
Researcher: Jessica Weitz, MLIS candidate at SCSU, jessweitz72@gmail.com, 1-802-258-2568
Research Advisor: Dr. Hak Joon Kim, Professor at SCSU, kimh1@southernct.edu, 1-203-392-5764