PLEASE NOTE: Survey -results- are available as follows:
To: Members and Friends of SLA's Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics Division
From: Strategic Planning Committee--Karen Croneis (chair), Gary Davidoff, Dorothy McGarry, Robert Michaelson
The PAM Division Strategic Planning Committee has developed this survey to gather information from the members and friends of PAM. The primary purposes of the survey are to determine priorities and to identify future directions for PAM. Please reply by Friday, February 20, 1998.
Preliminary results of this survey will be published in the May issue of the PAM Bulletin. The Committee will present a full report for discussion at the SLA Annual Conference in Indianapolis in June 1998.
Note: This is a copy of the same survey that was mailed to all PAM Division members. (Another copy will be posted on PAMnet by Thursday, February 12, 1998. Members and friends will be able to respond to that copy via email.) This particular web document is not a form you can reply to electroncically. Instead, please print out a copy, complete it, and either fax or mail it back. See the end of the survey for details.
1. Category which most accurately describes you:
___ a member of both SLA and PAM
___ a member of SLA but not of PAM
___ not a member of either SLA or PAM
2. Number of years in the library/information science profession:
__1-5 __6-10 __11-15 __16+
3. Current work status (Check all that apply):
__full-time employee __part-time employee (% work:____)
__retired __student
__not currently employed __temporary employee
__self-employed in own business/professional practice
(# of employees including yourself:___)
4. Location of employer if employed.
Location of residence if not employed.
State/Province: _____________ Country: ____________
5. Please indicate degree(s) in Library/Information Science:
___ none ____ Ph.D.
___ Bachelor's ____ other-specify:____________________
___ Master's
6. Please indicate subject degree(s) in areas other than
Library/Information Science:
__ none
__ Bachelor's--field: _______________________
__ Master's--field:_________________________
__ Ph.D.--field:___________________________
__ other--specify:_________________________
7. Type of library in which you work:
__ academic ___corporate
__ not for profit ___government
__ not currently employed ___other: ______________
__ don't work in a library; I work in ______________
8. Your subject specializations: (Check all that apply.)
______ Physics ______ Astronomy
______ Mathematics ______ Computer science
______ Other--please list:__________________________
If you are not currently employed, please go to Question 11.
9. Current job title: ____________________________________________
10. Current job primary duties: (Please indicate percent of time.)
_____ administration
_____ cataloging
_____ collection development
_____ database management
_____ reference
_____ supervision--
# of FTE librarians: ____
# of FTE graduate library school assistants: _____
# of FTE support/clerical: _____
# of FTE students: _______
# of FTE other workers: ____(Please describe):__________
_____ other/additional duties--Please describe:________________
________________________________________________
Note: If you are not a member of SLA, please go to Question #16.
11. How many years have you been a member of SLA?
____1-5 ___6-10 ___11-15 ____16+
12. Do you consider Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics (PAM) your primary
SLA division?
__yes, it is my primary division.
__no, my primary division is _____________________
__PAM is "co-equal" with _________________________
13. List any other SLA divisions and caucuses to which you belong:
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
14. Have you ever served (or are you currently serving) in a leadership
role in PAM?
____ Yes, I have (Please check all that apply.)
___ held a PAM office (chair, chair-elect, sec., treas.)
___ served on a PAM committee
___ chaired a PAM committee
___ organized a PAM conference roundtable
___ served as Bulletin editor
___ served as liaison with vendors/publishers
___ other (please describe):_____________________________
____ No, I have not because (Please check the primary reason.)
___ not enough time
___ never asked
___ no desire
___ don't know enough about what's involved
___ other, please explain:_______________________________
15. Have you served (or are you currently serving) in a leadership role
(e.g., office, committee chair, bulletin editor, liaison)
a. in other divisions?
___ no
___ yes--Please specify division/s and role/s:
____________________________________________________
b. in any caucuses?
___ no
___ yes--Please specify caucus/es and role/s:
____________________________________________________
c. in any chapters?
___ no
___ yes--Please specify chapter/s and role/s:
____________________________________________________
d. at the Association level?
___ no
___ yes--Please specify role/s: _____________________________
16. How frequently have you attended SLA Annual Conferences in the
last five years (1993-1997)?
___Regularly (4 or 5 times)
___Occasionally (2 or 3 times)
___Seldom or never (0 or 1 time)
17. If you have not attended an SLA Annual Conference in the past three
years (1995, 1996, 1997), please rank the three (3) primary reasons
why you have not attended. Rank the primary reason "1", the second
most important reason "2", and the third most important reason "3".
__too expensive __programs don't meet my needs
__bad location for me __not enough time
__family responsibilities __too much work at the office
__would rather go to another conference (which?____________________)
__joined SLA but never intended to go to Annual Conference
__management doesn't allow conference travel
__other:_____________________________________________________
18. If you chose "programs don't meet my needs" in the previous
question (#17), what programming changes would make you more likely
to attend?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
19. Will you attend the SLA Annual Conference in Indianapolis in June
1998?
__ yes. Why? _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
__ no. Why not? __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
__ don't know yet. What are the unknowns? ________________________
_________________________________________________________
20. If you have attended an SLA Annual Conference in the past three
(3) years, please indicate the most recent conference you attended.
____ 1995 in Montreal ___ 1997 in Seattle
____ 1996 in Boston ___ haven't attended
in the last 3 years
b. Based on the most recent SLA Annual Conference you attended,
how would you rate the following conference activities.
Please use this scale:
1=great 2=pretty good 3=so-so 4=poor 5=don't know
a. Physics roundtable: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
b. Math roundtable: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
c. Astronomy roundtable: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
d. Computer Science roundtable: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
e. PAM business meeting/
breakfast: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
f. PAM Program event(s): __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
g. PAM-wide roundtable: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
h. PAM vendor update: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
i. PAM Saturday night get-together: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
j. PAM open houses: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
a. Number of open houses PAM should have: ___1 ___2 ____3
b. Best days for open houses: __not able to attend __flexible
__Saturday __Sunday __Monday __Tuesday __Wednesday
21. What changes would you like to see in PAM programs at the Annual
Conference?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
22. How would you rate the following PAM services?
Please use the following scale:
1=great 2=pretty useful 3=marginal 4=poor 5=don't know
a. PAM Web Site __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
How could it be improved?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
b. PAM Listserv (PAMnet) __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
__don't have email
How could it be improved?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
c. PAM Bulletin print edition __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
How could it be improved?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
d. PAM Bulletin electronic edition __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
How could it be improved?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Below are three sets of statements about current PAM practices.
Please respond to the questions following each.
23. Pam's total annual budget is $7,300. PAM spends 60% of that total on
the Annual Conference. Half of the Annual Conference expenses are
for the open houses (food and the hotel suite for three nights).
About 40% of the PAM membership attends Annual Conferences.
--> Would it be preferable to spend this money on something else?
Why or why not? On what?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
24. The print edition of the PAM Bulletin costs a total of $1,400
annually to copy and distribute four issues. This represents about
19% of PAM's total budget. There is also an electronic (web) version
of the PAM Bulletin which is available without cost to the Division.
--> Is it preferable to have both print and electronic editions of
the PAM Bulletin? Why or why not?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
25. a. Are you familiar with the PAM Award?
____no
____yes--Do you know the nominations procedure? __yes __no
b. Are you familiar with the PAM Achievement Award?
____no
____yes--Do you know the nominations procedure? __yes __no
26. As a librarian/information professional, what are the biggest
challenges facing you today?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
27. What can the PAM Division do to help you meet those challenges?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
28. Here is a list of activities. Please rank your top five (5)
priorities for the PAM Division. Use "1" to designate the most
important activity, "2" to designate the second most important
activity, "3" for the third most important one, and so on.
___Increase communications and networking among members
___Represent members at Association Cabinet and other SLA meetings
___Strengthen liaison relationships with vendors, publishers, etc.
___Provide mentoring in the subject areas of the Division
___Plan focused, dynamic programming at the Annual Conference
___Sponsor continuing education courses
___Provide leadership training for members
___Encourage library/information science students to work
in physics-astronomy-mathematics organizations
___Increase participation of international members
___Recruit new members to the division
___Other (specify)__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
___Other (specify)__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
29. What do you want to tell us that we didn't ask? All comments welcome.
Please continue on the next page and use additional pages as needed.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
(OPTIONAL)
Name:__________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Telephone:__________________________________
E-mail address:_____________________________
Fax number:_________________________________
Would you like to serve the PAM Division in some capacity?
__no, not at this time. ___I'm already active.
__maybe. Tell me more about (please specify):
__________________________________________.
__yes. I'm interested in (please specify): ______________________
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Thank you for your response! It is very important to us. The results of
this survey will play a significant role in determining PAM's future.
Please return your survey in the enclosed envelope which is already
stamped and addressed.
POSTMARK/FAX DEADLINE: Friday, February 20, 1998.
Mail to: Karen S. Croneis
Washington University Libraries
One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1061
St. Louis, MO 63130
Fax (if you prefer): 314-935-4045
[Note: Moved 4/99 to The University of Alabama.
Hotlink to email below is correct.]
If you have questions or comments, please contact Karen Croneis at
(314) 935-5467 or kcroneis@library.wustl.edu. To be successful in meeting
the needs of its members, PAM needs your participation and feedback. Look
for a preliminary report on the survey results in the May 1998 issue of the
PAM Bulletin. Thank you again for your time and your thoughtful comments.
Go to PAM Division Web Site (http://pantheon.yale.edu/~dstern/pamtop.html).