[LIBRARYDIR] Survey to support IMLS planning grant

[Buschman, Mike]

Forwarding in case participation in the following survey is of interest...
Mike

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Dear Academic Library Leader,

As part of a research planning grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Western Carolina University and other partners are designing a future multi-state study of the needs and perspectives of minoritized or racially under-represented individuals and groups working in paraprofessional ("support staff") jobs in academic libraries. More information about this project can be found in the full proposal narrative, online at:
https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/project-proposals/RE-252396-OLS-22-Full-Proposal.pdf<https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501cfaeb-313553c2-454455535732-d26a6b03939a1a92&q=1&e=80952fcb-d524-4b66-94ac-1e6e02f06848&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imls.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fproject-proposals%2FRE-252396-OLS-22-Full-Proposal.pdf>

As part of the planning grant,  we have been contacting the leaders of many academic libraries in selected states and asking  them to respond to a brief survey.  Now, we are casting a wider net to any interested academic library leaders in the U.S., and inviting you to participate.

Here is the link to the brief online survey:

https://wcu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dbToRYJhPALyIwC<https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501cfaeb-313553c2-454455535732-e5ae87ac5300a15d&q=1&e=80952fcb-d524-4b66-94ac-1e6e02f06848&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwcu.az1.qualtrics.com%2Fjfe%2Fform%2FSV_dbToRYJhPALyIwC> .

**Before you respond to the survey, I suggest you review the brief instructions in this email.**

We request that you or a designated representative complete this survey no later than April 1, 2023. The success of this project will depend upon a strong response rate by library leaders like you.

** Please be sure that only one person responds on behalf of your library. **

** Before completing this survey, you may wish to consult with a Human Resources officer who has access to granular diversity data for your library. **

** Please do not respond via email -- use the link provided above to respond to the survey. **

SURVEY DETAILS
The brief online survey will ask you to provide the following information:

1. A preferred primary and (optional) secondary contact for your library and/or institution about this grant project, including name, title, and email address of each contact.

2. A simple total number of paraprofessional positions in your library, regardless of race and full-time or part-time status. Please be sure to count even vacant support staff positions.

3. A simple aggregate count of the paraprofessional ("support staff") employees in your library who identify as belonging to each of the following racial / ethnic categories used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Two or more races

4. A question asking if we may we contact you again in the future.  (Yes/No)

DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this simple data collection we will define paraprofessional or support staff employees as:

* Full-time or part-time library permanent or fixed-term employees whose positions and responsibilities are not classified as professional librarians, and do not require a Master of Library and Information Science degree.
* Excludes student employees.
* Excludes unpaid volunteers or interns.
* The employee's position is reflected in the library's organizational chart.
* The employee reports primarily to a library supervisor, not to other administratively-separate campus divisions (such as the institutional IT office).

MORE DETAILS
1. The main reason we are collecting this data as part of the planning project, is to obtain estimates of the size and composition of the total population to be studied in the envisioned future project.

2. This data collection has been approved by Western Carolina University's Institutional Review Board (IRB).

3. We are collecting only the requested aggregate demographic data, and will NOT be collecting data at this time about individuals. We will NOT be collecting Personally Identifiable Information about any library employees.

4. The racial demographic data for your library or institution will NOT be made publicly available. The only data that will be made available are 1) a list of the names of the institutions that respond to this survey., and 2) state level aggregated statistics or institution type (e.g., "In North Carolina" or "among community colleges").

5. Similarly, contact information for your library or institution will NOT be shared publicly. That information also is for use only by project personnel.

Thank you for considering this request!

Sincerely,

Chuck Thomas and the entire Project Team
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Chuck Thomas, Dean of Library Services
Western Carolina University
Phone: 828-227-3406 | Email: cfthomas at wcu.edu<mailto:cfthomas at wcu.edu>
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--
Martha Kyrillidou, PhD, MEd, MLS | QualityMetrics, LLC | Helping Libraries Achieve Success
Silver Spring, MD | martha at qualitymetricsllc.com<mailto:martha at qualitymetricsllc.com> | 202.251.9829 | qualitymetricsllc.com<https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501cfaeb-313553c2-454455535732-cb63bcc37240bab7&q=1&e=80952fcb-d524-4b66-94ac-1e6e02f06848&u=http%3A%2F%2Fqualitymetricsllc.com%2F>

What do we do: generate ideas, test, explain, measure, understand in depth and in breadth, partner, collaborate, co-create, share

I work flexibly - so whilst it suits me to email now, I do not expect a response or action outside of your own working hours.
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MIKE BUSCHMAN (he/him) Library Development Manager and LSTA Coordinator
Washington State Library | Office of the Secretary of State
6880 Capitol Blvd SE, Tumwater, Washington
mobile: 360-890-6924
Mike.Buschman at sos.wa.gov<mailto:Mike.Buschman at sos.wa.gov>
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7219-2783

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