- Libraries and 9/11 and the U.S.A. Patriot Act
In November of 2001, shortly after the terrorist
attacks of 9/11 and passage of the USA PATRIOT
Act, the Library Research Center (now CIRSS)
mailed a questionnaire to 629 public libraries in
Illinois. With funding from the Illinois State Library system, the survey
sought to understand how public libraries were
responding to new security measures and to the
events of September 11, 2001. The questionnaire
received 553 (87.9%) responses, providing insight
into questions regarding security, staff
attitudes, collection development, attitude
toward users, and general knowledge of the USA
PATRIOT Act. The results of this survey were
published in the Winter 2002 issue of Illinois Libraries.
After reviewing the results of that poll, the
Library Research Center undertook an additional
survey, a sample weighted by size of population
served of 1,503 of the 5,055 public libraries in
the U.S. serving populations over 5,000. These
libraries provide services to 96% of the U.S.
population. The survey was conducted on December
4, 2001, with a follow-up to nonrespondents on
January 9, 2002. A total of 1,028 (68%) libraries
responded, with many comments from librarians
indicating their interest in the findings. The
study covered a number of areas in public library
service, including security measures, changes in
attitude toward patrons, influences on collection
development, knowledge of the USA PATRIOT Act,
and information requests by government
authorities.
It is important to remember that both the
Illinois and national surveys were conducted only
a few months after passage of the USA PATRIOT Act
and before Attorney General John Ashcroft's
decision on May 30, 2002, to extend the rights of
the FBI to monitor activities such as Internet
use and public meetings at libraries, churches,
and other public gathering places.
A year after the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act
of October 2001, the Library Research Center
prepared a follow-up national survey exploring
how librarian attitudes toward patrons' privacy
had changed. The survey was mailed in October
2002 to directors of 1,505 of the 5,094 U.S.
public libraries serving populations of over
5,000, with 906 responses (60.2% of those
sampled).
An analysis of both national surveys will appear
in the forthcoming Patriotic Information Systems: Privacy, Access,
and Security Issues of Bush Information
Policy published by Idea Group, Inc.
- The FSCS Library Data Tool
The Library Research Center (now CIRSS) has
created an interactive online database for the library information collected annually by the Federal-State Cooperative System, a division
of the National
Center for Education Statistics. 
Library rankings and trends for five years
(2000–2004) are available at the national,
regional, and state level. Library fact sheets
and trends are available for all FSCS reporting
libraries. State fact sheets are also available.
Users can also access all five years of FSCS
library data via the interactive database, where
they can run their own calculations, filter and
group data based on their own criteria, and
create charts and crosstabs. Users can also save
their progress and continue where they left off
at another time.
All data is exportable into Excel file formats.
The data tool works best with Microsoft Internet Explorer,
Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.
Start Using the Data Tool
If you would like to provide feedback on your use
of the FSCS Library Data Tool, please contact
CIRSS at
.
This work was supported in part by a generous
gift from H.W.
Wilson Foundation.
- Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in
Illinois
Membership Survey and Focus Groups
In early 2007, the Library Research Center worked
with the Consortium of Academic and Research
Libraries in Illinois
(CARLI) to
develop a service evaluation survey. Developed to
be answered by any and all Illinois academic and
research library staff who use CARLI products and
services, the survey seeks to understand members'
views toward CARLI and requests suggestions for
enhancement of its services. Focus groups with
CARLI members and staff were conducted in
Spring 2007 to help inform CARLI strategic
management decisions and provide greater insights
into the survey results.
Learn more about the reports.
- Library Community Surveys
The Library Research Center (now CIRSS) has a history of
developing and implementing community surveys and other projects that examine the
current topics and conditions found in library and school districts, academic
communities, and neighborhoods. By analyzing issues at the local level, insights
into how policies and programs affect communities can be very helpful in bringing
about change and evaluating the needs and desires of community members. Because each
community has a different composition, these types of projects are essential to
determine ways to increase community involvement, better living conditions, raise
community awareness, or determine if a library program will be successful.
In 2005, the Library Research Center performed a community survey
for the South Holland Public
Library. In 2007, the Library Research Center will be conducting a community
survey for the Mount Prospect Public Library as
well. Please contact CIRSS at
if you would like to see sample survey questions to help you with your own library
project.
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