This one goes out just to our members! (Everyone else: we like you too. We are just looking for member feedback right now.)
This one goes out just to our members! (Everyone else: we like you too. We are just looking for member feedback right now.)
Recently, staff in CMLE member libraries had almost one month to respond to an online CMLE Needs Assessment (survey). We sincerely thank the 152 people (20%) who took the time to share their thoughts, feedback, and dreams for library support services in Central Minnesota. CMLE serves 320 libraries in 12 counties, and one of the biggest challenges is understanding your specific needs while also trying to spot opportunities to convene academic, public, special and school librarians when a topic cuts across library type. In the next few weeks, we will highlight a few questions/responses in order to provide manageable bites of data.
This week we highlight data about who participated, and
how they engage with various tools including social media!
Makeup of the Needs Assessment Respondents
The following chart shows tools that are blocked for use at work. Tip: Sometimes, these tools can be used in the workplace by requesting special access for the specialized work you do!
Social Media Use by Respondents: Professional and Personal Use
Other interesting, notable facts!
Do any of these results surprise you? How so? We would love to know….admin@cmle.org
Watch for a new set of Needs Assessment results next week!
I cannot believe we are once again staring down the end of another academic year! My social media world reminds me that many of you are pushing through grueling testing in the K-12 schools, enduring exhausting budgeting exercises when there simply isn’t enough money, and yes, some of you are defending your jobs too. Welcome to spring in library land. Oh wait, I forgot pending legislation!
Legislatively, it doesn’t help that although the state has a wonderful budget surplus of $1.8 billion for the first time in years, funding to K-12 education AND libraries will probably not happen in any meaningful way this year (I don’t equate the current 1% increase for K-12 education meaningful). There are many opinions about why this might be. Last year, the heavy price tag to the state for all-day kindergarten did us no favors. And, the Governor’s push for statewide Pre-K this year, may have pushed too far, and fueled the legislator’s need to block the Governor on yet another pricey education improvement. Personally, I am not sure we were quite ready for another budget item of this size, and I am not sure the schools were ready for it either. Unfortunately, all education related funding (including libraries and multitype systems) get punished when all of our requests are included in a big old education omnibus bill. When things get adversarial, unfortunately we all lose! And, let’s not forget the students, what price will they pay?
On a positive note, I also see good things this time of year!
Doing a Needs Assessment is an emotional roller coaster much like a legislative session! As you can imagine, trying to determine and/or serve the needs of almost 800 people in 320 locations is a tall order, and you can only ask for the information if you are brave enough to face it! We are happy to see that 85% of our audience is receiving our weekly email that acts as a launching pad for important library information. Help us discover who we might be missing. We saw few surprises in your use of social media, but still think Twitter is underutilized as a collaboration tool with colleagues. Our Tech Bits and Ideas category of information was rated highest which fulfilled our hunch this year when we added it to the Weekly Review lineup. The open ended questions are the hardest….we hear worried, isolated, and exhausted voices in some of those responses. CMLE will continue to listen, support you, and respond! Thank you for the important work you do in Minnesota libraryland and watch for the next installment of Needs Assessment data next week. Did you miss this weeks results?
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