Approved-By:  Diane Kovacs <DKOVACS@KENTVM.KENT.EDU>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Fri, 21 Aug 1992 14:40:01 EDT
From:         Diane Kovacs <DKOVACS@Kentvm.Kent.edu>
Subject: Survey of E-conference Users: Summary Results
Comments: To: pacs-l@uhupvm1.BITNET, govdoc-l@psuvm.psu.edu,
              libref-l@kentvm.kent.edu, cwis-l@wuvmd.BITNET,
              cnidir-l@unmvm.BITNET

Dear Colleagues,

 As I promised here are preliminary summary results from our
survey of e-conference users.  We estimate that we sent surveys
to 10,000 subscribers (that's an estimate based on the actual
subscriber numbers plus a guess at how many people were reading
from newservers) We had 576 usable responses.  72 were blank or
unreadable.  Because of this low response rate we would appreciate
if you could send an e-mail message to dkovacs@kentvm.kent.edu
or dkovacs@kentvm describing *why you didn't or were unable to
respond*  We are guessing that many simply weren't sure how to
respond and others are simply sick of surveys ;).

 Summary of Preliminary Results:
 Q1.  E-conference that survey was first received on:
      Top 5:  PACS-L   9.9%
              CWIS-L   7.5%
              GOVDOC-L 6.9%
              LIBREF-L 5.6%
              CNIDIR-L 5.4%
2. Do E-mail conferences enhance other sources of professional information
for you? (Yes or No)
          Yes 96.9%
          No   2.1%
         blank 1.0%

3. Please comment on which sources of professional information have been
enhanced by your participation on e-mail conferences? (type Yes or No at
asterisk after each source)

Professional Journals
          Yes 74.8%
Professional Conferences
          Yes 84.7%
Telephone Conversation
          Yes 73.3%
Postal Mail
          Yes 65.5%

4. Do E-mail conferences replace other sources of professional information
for you? (Yes or No)
          Yes 38.4%
          No  60.8%
        blank   .9%

5  Please comment on which sources of professional information have been
replaced by participation on e-mail conferences? (type Yes or No at the
asterisk after each source)

Professional Journals
          Yes 14.1%
Professional Conferences
          Yes 13.4%
Telephone Conversation
          Yes 34.5%
Postal Mail
          Yes 38.2%


6. To which Library and Information Science e-mail conferences do you
subscribe?

  Summary data for this is not yet available.

7. Are you a Librarian (possessing a Masters Degree in Library Science or
filling a position which requires Master's level knowledge or skill) or
Library Paraprofessional?  (If No please skip to question 14.)

 Yes 78.8%

8.  In what kind of library do you work?  (chose one of the categories below
and type it in beside the '*')

50.8%     University Library (Graduate level school),
 7.8%     College Library(4 year)
  .9%     College Library(2 year)
  .9%     Public Library
 1.6%     Corporate for Profit Library
 1.2%     Private non-Profit Library
 3.8%     Government/Public Agency
Other (please state)
1 each:  Australian Univ.,Canadian Univ.,Israli Univ., College?
Corporation(not library), Corporation (library related), Publisher,
Research Laboratory.
.7% Consultants
1.4% GSLIS
1.0% Law Libraries
1.9% Library Organizations
3.3% Medical Libraries

9. If you work in a Public Library, is it located in a city of:
  (type the letter of your selection next to the asterisk below)

5 public libraries responded.  2 from cities over 1 million, 2 from
cities from 100,000-1 million and 1 from a city between 50,000 and
100,000

10. Not available.

11. What is your position? e.g. title, subject specialty, duties.
Top 5:  1. 14.4% Library Administrators (Dean, Director, Head of more
           than one Dept.)
        2. 11.5% Reference Librarians and 11.5% Systems Librarians
        3.  9.0% Catalogers
        4.  3.3% Government Documents
        5.  3.1% Electronic Reference (Reference Libs with responsibility
            primarily for computer resources, small systems).

12. If you are not specifically a reference librarian, do you have Reference
Desk responsibilities?

not available

13. Do you ever use information from E-mail conferences to assist patrons
with information needs? (Yes or No, please give example if possible)

not available

14. What interests do you have in the E-mail conference that you received
this survey on?
not available

15. How much time do you personally spend each week on Bitnet/Internet
(E-mail conference, personal e-mail or other activity)

3.5% said ALOT or TOO MUCH
The range is from 1 hour per week to 50 hours per week

Diane K. Kovacs
Jeannie Dixon
Kara Robinson
contact at:  dkovacs@kentvm.kent.edu or dkovacs@kentvm
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU