Conference attendees were grouped according to the region of the United States. There was not a strong correlation between the length of time someone has been a member and conference attendance. Cost and timing are mostly frequently cited reasons for not attending the conference. Notably, over half of the respondents did not indicate that any of these were reasons for not attending. Comparing the reasons for non-attendance and the types of members that do attend the conference, it seems reasonable to expect that a larger proportionate representation from the Western region can be expected at the 2000 conference in Kansas City.
Consensus exists on topics of interest to members.
Included in the survey was a question asking respondents what general conference or journal topics were of interest to them from a list of thirteen different choices. They were also given the opportunity to indicate other topics of interest. The respondents offered 28 suggestions for new services or how to enhance services. These are presented in Table 4. Many of the suggestions provided by the respondents seem to relate to either the conference or the increased use of technology.