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Date:         Fri, 31 Jul 1992 10:21:52 CDT
Reply-To:     jlemay@nwu.edu
From:         John LeMay <jlemay@CASBAH.ACNS.NWU.EDU>
Subject:      HELP IMPROVE THE TIMELINESS,
              COST AND DELIVERY OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION
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              LIBRES@KENTVM.BITNET, MEDLIB-L@UBVM.BITNET, FISC-L@NDSUVM1.BITNET

HELP IMPROVE THE TIMELINESS, COST, DELIVERY AND ACCESS OF ELECTRONIC
INFORMATION

ELECTRONIC SURVEY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIGITAL DOCUMENT

The Boston Consulting Group is currently conducting a study on the future of
electronic publishing and distribution, and would like to get your input.
Technology platforms like wide area networks (Internet, Bitnet, etc), local
area networks, CD-ROM, multimedia PCs, and hand-held information appliances
will continue to reshape the way people access and use information.  This
survey itself is an experimental way of soliciting feedback on electronic
publishing from librarians, researchers, authors, professors, practitioners,
and students.. We hope that your response will help improve the cost, delivery,
timeliness, and availability of electronic information to the scientific,
technical, medical and professional communities.

This survey has two parts.  Part One contains structured responses to a defined
set of questions.  Part Two contains more open ended questions on what
information your clients need, how they want to access it, and what are the
major dissatisfactions with electronic information in its current state.

Please send responses to:  jlemay@nwu.edu

PART ONE:  STRUCTURED SURVEY:

1.  Which of the following best describes your institution:
____ Corporation/business
____ Government
____ Public
____ Community college/two-year college
____ Four-year college (no graduate programs)
____ University with graduate programs
____ University with graduate/research programs

2.  What electronic delivery media are available in/through your library:
____ Stand-alone CD-ROM readers, number ____
____ Multiple addressable CD-ROM readers, number ____
____ CD-ROM readers accessed in "Jukebox" format, number ____
____ Personal computer access to on-line information
____ Local-area networks
____ Wide-area networks, type _________________ (Internet, Bitnet etc.)

3.  Do you plan to make (additional) investments in CD-ROM technology:
____ Within the next year
____ In the next three years
____ In the next five years
____ No, the library does not plan to invest

4.  If you plan to add CD-ROMs, how many do you expect to purchase:
____ Within the next year
____ In the next three years
____ In the next five years
____ No, the library does not plan to invest

5.  Over the next five years, do you expect your budget for the acquisition of
electronic equipment to:

____ show no growth
____ increase at 0-5 percent per year?
____ increase at 6-10 percent per year?
____ increase at 11-15 percent per year?
____ 16-20 percent per year?
____ 21 percent or greater?


6.  Which of the following best describes your view of the future of CD-ROM as
a delivery media:
____ transitional, will be replaced by on-line and network alternatives within
5 years
____ transitional, will be replaced by on-line and network alternatives
within 10 years
____ mostly a storage/archival media long-term
____ important delivery media for the long-term, but only for a narrow segment
of information
____ important delivery media for the long-term, for a broad range of
information needs
____ the primary electronic delivery media for the long-term
____ other _____________________________________________________________

7. Please rate the following potential barriers to further development of
CD-ROMs on a scale of 1-5 (5 = major barrier):
____ user interface (5 = major barrier)
____ cost of equipment (5 = major barrier)
____ networkability (5 = major barrier)
____ cost of electronic information (5 = major barrier)
____ access speed (5 = major barrier)
____ usefulness of information available in electronic format (5 = major
barrier)
____ intrinsic value of print to user(5 = major barrier)
____ low user awareness/understanding (5 = major barrier)
____ other (5 = major barrier) ____________________________________________

8.  Approximately what percent of your acquisitions budget will be allocated
to the purchase of information in a CD ROM format:
____ this year
____ in three years
____ in five years

9.  Does your institution offer networked or on-line services to end users
(Dialog, Internet, etc)?

____ Yes
____ No

10.  For fee-based on-line services, what fraction of the total access cost
does the end user pay?

____ None
____ Less than 20 percent
____ 20-40 percent
____ 40-60 percent
____ 60-80 percent
____ 80-100 percent

11.  Approximately what percent of your acquisitions budget will be allocated
to the purchase of information in a network/on-line format:
____ this year
____ in three years
____ in five years

12.  Do you think end-user/library cost sharing for on-line information will:

____ increase
____ decrease
____ stay the same

13. Please rate the level of end-user satisfaction with network/on-line access
along the following dimensions (1=completely satisfied; 5 = major
dissatisfaction):
____ user interface (5 = major dissatisfaction)
____ cost of equipment (5 = major dissatisfaction)
____ lack of graphics (5 = major dissatisfaction)
____ cost of electronic information (5 = major dissatisfaction)
____ access speed (5 = major dissatisfaction)
____ timeliness of the information (5 = major dissatisfaction)
____ separate databases require separate searches (5 = major dissatisfaction)
____ usefulness of information available in electronic format (5 = major
dissatisfaction)
____ other

14.  Overall, how satisfied are end-users with the ability to access
information electronically (5=very satisfied)

____ Level of satisfaction

15.  How important is browsing to the scientific, technical, and medical
community (5=extremely important)

____ Importance of browsing

16.  What percent of your current purchases of electronic information replace
a print product?

____ (percent)

17.  In the future, do you view electronic media as mostly a replacement or
mostly a supplement to printed information (1=replace; 2=supplement)

____ In five years (1=replace; 2=supplement)
____ In ten years (1=replace; 2=supplement)

18.  From your perspective, rate the following benefits of electronic
information (5= highest)

____ Space savings/archival (5= highest)
____ Search capabilities (5= highest)
____ Networking capabilities with other libraries for information
sharing (5= highest)

Part II:  Open ended questions

19  What capabilities do publishers need to develop to best serve libraries in
the electronic environment?

20.  What will the library of the future look like in five years? In ten years?

21.  Some have argued that the basic model of libraries is being reshaped by
electronic information.  The contrast that has been offered is as follows:

  Current Model              Future Model

- Storage and procurement  - Access
- Users to the libraries   - Libraries to the user (networks)
- Islands of information   - Networked "Virtual libraries"
- Separate buying          - Coordinated buying
- Central facility         - Distributed information to user
- Costs born by library    - Cost Sharing between user/library

Do you agree with this assessment?  Can you add to it?
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU