The State Library of NC is offering scholarships to 15 NC library staff to attend this course.

Dates: July 2nd through 27th, 2018

Surveys are one of the most useful and least expensive ways to gather information about your patrons! This course will orient participants on basic survey procedures, techniques, tips, and tricks. Topics will include sampling and response rate, question/response design, interpreting results, and ethical questions. The course provides readings, hands-on exercises, example survey questions and response patterns, discussion, and up-to-date online resources. Participants will finish the course prepared to collect and analyze survey data from library users on a number of different topics.

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Select and reach the most respondents for typical survey topics
• Design relevant questions and useful response categories
• Use a spreadsheet to analyze survey results
• Understand basic ethical principles in survey design and use, such as protecting respondent privacy.

Jennifer Sweeney is a program evaluation consultant for libraries, other public agencies, and nonprofits, and lecturer at San Jose State University, Simmons College, and Drexel University. Dr. Sweeney developed measurement instruments for K-16 educational interventions for the University of California, Davis School of Education, and provided evaluation services for the California Center for the Book, the California Library Association, and Smith & Lehmann Consulting. Previously, she was library analyst at the UC Davis Library, reference librarian at the American University Library in Washington, DC, and business librarian with Cost Engineering Research, Inc. in Arlington, VA. Interview with Jennifer Sweeney

Course Structure

This is an online class that is taught asynchronously, meaning that participants do the work on their own time as their schedules allow. The class does not meet together at any particular times, although the instructor may set up optional sychronous chat sessions. Instruction includes readings and assignments in one-week segments. Class participation is in an online forum environment.

See the full course description.

Registration coming soon!