Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Library's Future Direction - Survey or Sham? Take a Look.




If Second City were to do a comedy sketch on libraries or surveys, they would need to look no further than the Lisle Library's recent survey for inspiration. 

From the initial crafting of the loaded survey questions, to the results announced before conducting the survey, to the covert collection of IP addresses, to the limited and controlled sample size, and finally, to the outright refusal to release un-redacted copies of the survey responses. 

But before the survey, came the set-up.





Here's how the comedy sketch starts:

Opening scene Mayberry Library. Library staff sitting around a conference table munching on snacks paid for by the taxpayers. Employees chatting about the budget cuts and layoffs at the neighboring Mount Pilot Library. People are reading e-books and over 80% of the people in town now own their own computer. We need to think of something, anything, to keep our jobs. The library weeded out a huge portion of the print collection and the place looks empty. All this extra space. What to do? We already tried new furniture and redecorating and we still can't get enough people in here to make sure we keep our jobs.

One young librarian speaks up. Hey, how about we say that we want to convert all the space where we used have print books into FREE meeting space for the taxpayers? 

A senior staffer noted that since people can download their own books, movies and music by themselves from home, we need to find some gimmicks, give-aways and promotional events to drum up some fake demand. 

That's it... we will turn the library into taxpayer subsidized meeting space, maybe add a cafe, run some free park district-type programs/classes and use taxpayer money to publish some propaganda that will convince the town residents that this change is good for them. We will even make it seem like it is their idea! Awesome! Then we will tell them that we need a tax increase and more property to expand and grow into a big community meeting space. 

But how do we make the taxpayers think its their idea? We need a plan.

What if we publish a few press releases about how libraries need to change and grow. If we say if often enough it will become the truth. Let's get some press about how libraries are not obsolete quiet places where people used to borrow print books and seek a quiet place to research and do homework or access the internet, but libraries are now really vibrant places where people meet and talk. Forget about meeting friends for coffee at Starbucks or getting together with your friends and their kids at the playground or a baseball game... The library is the place you wanna be. Don't forget everyone: "vibrant, vital, revitalize, connecting, evolving and big meeting space" now replaces "quiet, peaceful and books." Just string those words together into random sentences. Everyone will just read it and believe its true. Ready, set, go! 

Time for "Press Release #1" Let's go with something touchy-feelly... starting with getting rid of the "quiet" and start pushing the concept of a community center. Oooh... I got it. Let's say the library connects people in the community. We need to convince those taxpayers that we are way more important than schools and churches for people to connect and meet with their neighbors. And don't forget to mention how "wonderful" the employees are so we can get a raise. 

How about something vague and warm and fuzzy like this: 
  
"One of the most important aspects of great public library service is creating opportunities to connect our community to not only our collections but to digital content, to the wonderful professionals that provide a road map for how to use it all and to each other. 










Electronic Surveys


Survey # Date Time Started Time Finished

1

27-Aug-13

 3:09pm

 3:12pm
2 27-Aug-13  3:16pm  3:18pm
3 27-Aug-13  3:18pm  3:19pm
4 27-Aug-13  3:32pm  3:37pm
5 27-Aug-13  3:27pm  3:51pm
6 27-Aug-13  3:42pm  4:50pm
7 27-Aug-13  5:38pm  5:41pm
8 27-Aug-13  6:42pm  6:48pm
9 27-Aug-13  8:06pm  8:13pm
10 27-Aug-13  8:27pm  8:30pm
11 27-Aug-13  8:53pm  8:57pm
12 27-Aug-13  9:20pm  9:26pm
13 28-Aug-13  4:44am  4:54am
14 28-Aug-13  5:01am  5:04am
15 28-Aug-13  5:14am  5:20am
16 28-Aug-13  5:23am  5:27am
17 28-Aug-13  6:11am  6:15am
18 28-Aug-13  6:17am  6:20am
19 28-Aug-13  6:34am  6:36am
20 28-Aug-13  6:42am  6:45am
21 28-Aug-13  7:26am  7:33am
22 28-Aug-13  7:26am  7:57am
23 28-Aug-13  8:12am  8:17am
24 28-Aug-13  8:02am  8:26am
25 28-Aug-13  8:25am  8:33am
26 28-Aug-13  9:38am  9:42am
27 28-Aug-13 10:11am 10:15am
28 28-Aug-13 10:45am 10:49am
29 28-Aug-13 11:27am 11:32am
30 28-Aug-13 11:34am 11:34am
31 28-Aug-13 12:19pm 12:28pm
32 28-Aug-13 12:53pm  1:04pm
33 28-Aug-13  2:01pm  2:05pm
34 28-Aug-13  2:09pm  2:29pm
35 28-Aug-13  2:36pm  2:40pm
36 28-Aug-13  2:51pm  3:01pm
37 28-Aug-13  3:51pm  3:59pm
38 28-Aug-13  4:01pm  4:11pm
39 28-Aug-13  4:07pm  4:22pm
40 28-Aug-13  5:43pm  5:49pm
41 28-Aug-13  5:49pm  5:54pm
42 28-Aug-13  5:47pm  5:54pm
43 28-Aug-13  6:05pm  6:11pm
44 28-Aug-13  6:35pm  6:47pm
45 28-Aug-13  6:47pm  6:50pm
46 28-Aug-13  7:01pm  7:04pm
47 28-Aug-13  7:34pm  7:45pm
48 29-Aug-13  6:42am  6:45am
49 29-Aug-13  8:39am  8:43am
50 29-Aug-13  8:40am  8:54am
51 29-Aug-13  9:16am  9:20am
52 29-Aug-13  9:17am  9:30am
53 29-Aug-13  9:44am 10:04am
54 29-Aug-13 11:05am 11:09am
55 29-Aug-13 12:23pm 12:32pm
56 29-Aug-13 12:27pm  1:30pm
57 29-Aug-13  4:18pm  4:24pm
58 30-Aug-13  7:02am  7:10am
59 30-Aug-13  1:00pm  1:12pm
60 30-Aug-13  2:27pm  2:31pm
61 30-Aug-13  2:27pm  2:31pm
62 30-Aug-13  4:43pm  4:48pm
63 30-Aug-13  8:45pm  9:00pm
64 31-Aug-13  8:24am  8:41am
65 31-Aug-13  8:36am  8:42am
66 31-Aug-13  8:53am  8:56am
67 31-Aug-13 10:59am 11:19am
68 31-Aug-13 11:43am 11:45am
69 31-Aug-13 11:46am 11:49am
70 31-Aug-13  7:20am  1:29pm
71 1-Sep-13  6:49am  6:52am
72 1-Sep-13  7:26am  7:31am
73 2-Sep-13  9:37am  9:39am
74 2-Sep-13  2:47pm  2:50pm
75 2-Sep-13  6:45pm  7:02pm
76 2-Sep-13  9:50pm 10:03pm
77 2-Sep-13  9:46pm 10:03pm
78 3-Sep-13  5:51am  6:16am
79 3-Sep-13  7:42am  8:00am
80 3-Sep-13 10:13am 10:35am
81 3-Sep-13 11:00am 11:02am
82 3-Sep-13  1:08pm  1:13pm
83 3-Sep-13  5:58pm  6:04pm
84 3-Sep-13  6:02pm  6:04pm
85 4-Sep-13 10:18am 10:21am
86 4-Sep-13 10:18am 10:24am
87 4-Sep-13  6:15pm  6:30pm
88 4-Sep-13  9:17pm  9:21pm
89 5-Sep-13  7:18am  7:26am
90 5-Sep-13  7:25am  7:32am
91 6-Sep-13 11:54am 11:59am
92 6-Sep-13  8:13pm  8:34pm
93 7-Sep-13  9:09am  9:11am
94 8-Sep-13  7:17am  7:24am
95 8-Sep-13 11:16am 11:20am
96 8-Sep-13  6:09pm  6:16pm
97 9-Sep-13  8:46am  8:48am
98 9-Sep-13 10:16am 10:18am
99 9-Sep-13  1:56pm  1:59pm
100 10-Sep-13  7:28pm  7:32pm
101 11-Sep-13  7:43am  7:48am
102 11-Sep-13  8:10am  8:14am
103 13-Sep-13  7:51am  9:19am
104 13-Sep-13  2:17pm  2:19pm
105 15-Sep-13  9:17am  9:21am
106 15-Sep-13  7:47pm  8:45pm
107 15-Sep-13 10:28pm 10:36pm
108 17-Sep-13 11:22am 11:30am
109 17-Sep-13 11:58am 12:02pm
110 17-Sep-13  3:46pm  3:50pm
111 18-Sep-13  4:01pm  4:03pm
112 18-Sep-13  4:11pm  4:24pm
113 19-Sep-13  2:20pm  2:29pm
114 21-Sep-13 11:12am 11:18am
115 22-Sep-13  7:23am  7:29am
116 22-Sep-13  7:00pm  7:05pm
117 23-Sep-13  4:35pm  4:39pm
118 23-Sep-13  5:42pm  5:46pm
119 24-Sep-13  4:51pm  5:02pm
120 24-Sep-13  5:24pm  5:27pm
121 26-Sep-13  8:25am  8:30am
122 30-Sep-13  4:58pm  5:18pm
123 1-Oct-13  6:29am  7:07am
124 1-Oct-13 10:55am 10:59am
125 2-Oct-13  5:49am  5:53am
126 2-Oct-13  8:10am  8:16am
127 2-Oct-13 11:17am 11:49am
128 2-Oct-13  2:05pm  2:08pm
129 2-Oct-13  2:49pm  3:00pm
130 3-Oct-13 10:38am 10:45am
131 5-Oct-13  6:08pm  6:14pm
132 6-Oct-13  2:33am  2:41am
133 6-Oct-13 12:35pm 12:37pm
134 6-Oct-13  2:16pm  2:19pm
135 8-Oct-13  3:01pm  7:22pm
136 9-Oct-13  6:58am  7:02am
137 9-Oct-13  2:33pm  2:42pm
138 9-Oct-13  7:41pm  7:50pm
139 10-Oct-13 12:58pm 12:58pm
140 11-Oct-13 11:32am 11:33am








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