Posts for the ‘60 Second’ Category

What is the value of an MLIS to you?

Forbes.com recently posted an article on “The Best And Worst Master’s Degrees For Jobs,”  and a Master’s in Library and Information Science was ranked the No. 1 worst degree. These rankings were based on mid-career median pay and estimated rate of growth of careers in 35 popular degrees. The results of our 60-second poll “The Value of an MLIS to You,” however, show a different picture of the degree’s worth, one beyond monetary potential. Those who completed the survey were certainly concerned about the job market and salaries, but our respondents also left lengthy comments about the intrinsic rewards of the profession, and 79% agreed that the degree was worth the time and money invested.

Read the full report with analysis of the comments here, or see the highlights in our Fast Facts report.

~Julie

Edited to add: ALA President Maureen Sullivan has a nice response to the Forbes article in the Washington Post.

Edited: June 19th, 2012

Our new American Libraries feature article– “Who’s the Boss”–is now available

Last November, we asked you in a 60-second survey to share your opinions about privatization and public libraries. We just published the results of this study as a feature article in American Libraries: “Who’s the Boss? Does Private Management Have a Place in Public Libraries?”. Access the article here. The study’s results were also summarized in an earlier blog post.

Thanks again to everyone who responded to our survey! Your participation and thought-provoking comments provided us with an excellent foundation from which to work as we wrote the article. We’re excited to continue sharing your opinions about hot topics in LIS in future studies.

~Linda

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Edited: July 14th, 2011

Results from the 60-Second Survey: What is the Value of an MLIS to You?

Over the last two weeks of May, librarians, library staff, and library school students weighed in on the LRS 60-Second Survey “The Value of an MLIS Degree to you.” Almost 2,500 people from every state and 15 countries, representing all library types, responded. Around 1,300 respondents left comments, sharing additional thoughts on the value of the MLIS degree today.

When asked if they thought their MLIS degree was/is worth the money and time invested in it, just over three-fourths of respondents (76%) agreed or strongly agreed that their degree was worth the investment. Seven percent of respondents disagreed with the statement that their MLIS degree was worth the time and money they invested in it, and another 4 percent strongly disagreed. Ten percent indicated neutral feelings toward the value of their MLIS degree.

My MLIS degree was/is worth the time and money invested in it:*
*3 percent of respondents indicated N/A and the question was skipped by 11 respondents.

Respondents who have had their MLIS degree the longest were more likely to indicate that the time and money invested in the MLIS was worth it. Nine out of ten (92%) of respondents who have had their MLIS for 16+ years agreed or strongly agreed that the degree was worth the time and money they invested in it and only 8 percent disagreed, strongly disagreed, or were neutral. Almost 90 percent of respondents who have had their degrees for 11-15 years agreed or strongly agreed that the investment in the MLIS degree was worth it, as did 80 percent of respondents who have had their degrees for 6-10 years. While over two-thirds of newer professionals agreed or strongly agreed that their investment in the degree was worthwhile, they were less likely to strongly agree and were more likely to select neutral or to disagree or strongly disagree. Respondents who completed their degree 1-5 years ago were the most likely to indicate that the degree was not worth the time and money they invested in it, with 21 percent selecting disagree or strongly disagree.

My MLIS degree was/is worth the time and money invested in it, by when degree was completed:

Survey respondents also indicated whether or not they would recommend pursuing an MLIS degree if asked today. Almost two-thirds of respondents (63%) would recommend pursuing the MLIS degree, with one-fourth of respondents indicating they would “highly recommend” the degree. Close to one in six respondents would not recommend pursuing the degree, and 8 percent would actively dissuade others from pursuing it. Around 14 percent of the respondents said they were not sure if they would recommend the degree if asked.

If asked TODAY, would you recommend pursuing an MLIS degree?
In addition to being more likely to agree that the investment in the MLIS degree was worth it, respondents who have had their degrees the longest were also the most likely to indicate they would recommend pursuing the degree to others, with three-fourths of those who have had their MLIS for 16+ years indicating they would recommend or highly recommend the degree. Around two-thirds (65%) of those who have had their MLIS for 11-15 years and 6-10 years would also recommend or highly recommend the degree to others. Those who have had their degree for 1-5 years were the least likely to highly recommend or recommend the degree (49%) and were also the most likely to indicate that they would not recommend (22%) or actively dissuade (13%) others from pursuing an MLIS.

If asked TODAY, would you recommend pursuing an MLIS degree, by when degree was completed:

Stay tuned for a more in-depth report on the survey results, including a comparison with the 2008 survey results and analysis of the comments left by respondents. Until then, we’d love to hear your thoughts so far – please leave any comments below!

~Lisa

Edited: June 14th, 2011

New 60-Second Survey: What is the Value of an MLIS to you?

In 2008 Library Research Service launched our first 60-second survey, “What is the Value of an MLIS to You?,” in response to lively discussions about this topic on various listservs. Close to 2,000 library professionals weighed in, with over 1,000 leaving thoughtful comments about the MLIS degree. Three years later, as libraries and the environments in which they serve continue to change and evolve, LRS wondered how has the value of an MLIS fared? LRS has launched a new 60-Second Survey on the value of an MLIS to you. Do you feel your MLIS degree was/is worth the time and money invested in it? If asked today, would you recommend pursuing an MLIS degree? You tell us.

Edited to add: Thank you for your interest! The survey is now closed. Preliminary results will be posted to the blog in early June.

Many thanks!
Lisa

Edited: May 19th, 2011

Results from the 60-Second Survey: Privatization of Public Libraries

For the past month, library staff have weighed in on our survey about the privatization of public libraries.  More than 2,500 people from every state and 15 countries responded, making this our most popular 60-Second Survey yet.  The nearly 1,500 comments we received with additional thoughts on privatizing the management of public libraries made it even more clear that this is a topic of great interest to library professionals and other stakeholders.

Given an either-or choice, survey respondents overwhelmingly sided with public sector management, with 86% agreeing with a statement that management should remain in the public sector so that profit does not become libraries’ primary objective.  The other 14% agreed that management should be privatized if it means that libraries can do a better job of providing services and materials to patrons at lower costs.

Should management of public libraries be privatized if it means lowering costs, or remain in the public sector so that profit doesn’t become libraries’ primary objective?

Survey respondents identified whether they thought public or private sector management was more likely – or equally likely – to achieve a list of outcomes for public libraries.  Public sector management scored the highest, by far, on all factors but two:  reducing operating costs and making library operations more efficient.  In these areas, respondents were closely split among the three answer choices, with around 1 in 3 voting for each (the public sector, the private sector, or both as equally likely to achieve these outcomes).

What type of management is more likely to achieve the following outcomes in public libraries?

At least 3 in 4 respondents identified public sector management as the best way to improve the quality of library services, increase the relevance of libraries’ collections, employ qualified staff to meet community needs, and protect patron privacy.  Public sector management drew even more support – from nearly 9 out of 10 respondents (88%) – when they considered the library’s ability to serve all the members of its community and the strength of the library’s connection to the community it serves.

What type of management is more likely to achieve the following outcomes in public libraries?

More than half (53%) the respondents reported that a public library should be run like a public service rather than a business, but almost as many (42%) said it should be run like both.  Just 2 percent thought that a public library should be run like a business.

Should a public library be run like a public service or a business?


Eight in 10 (82%) respondents thought that privatization would have a negative impact on library staff’s job security and benefits or retirement plans.  While the majority (66%) thought the negative impact would also extend to job prospects for degreed librarians, a higher percentage were unsure of the potential impact (17%) or thought privatization would have no impact on job prospects (9%).

Stay tuned for a more in-depth report of survey results in an upcoming Fast Facts.  Until then, we’d love to hear your thoughts so far – please leave comments below!

~ Jamie H.

Edited: December 8th, 2010

AL Publishes Article: Booking to the Future

American Libraries will be publishing Jamie Helgren’s (DU-LRS Research Fellow) article on the Future of the Book in their January/February issue. See the article, “Booking to the Future” online now at: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/11302010/booking-future. 

This article is based on the LRS 60-Second Survey: The Future of the Book conducted earlier this year. Several LRS staff members contributed to the analysis of the data and you can see more about the survey results on the LRS blog and in two Fast Facts issues.

 ~Nicolle

1/5/11 UPDATE
Jamie’s is the cover article for the Jan/Feb issue of  American Libraries. Browse the issue and read the article at:  http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/e8e0bcae#/e8e0bcae/1

Edited: December 2nd, 2010

Privatization Survey Update: Help Us Represent the Opinions of Library Staff Across the US

So far, we’ve had a great response to our 60-Second Survey on privatization! However, our geographic representation is a bit skewed. Nearly three-fourths of our respondents come from just 9 states–those that are colored in the map above. In contrast, the remaining states–those in white–are each represented by less than 2% of the survey respondents. Do you live in a white state or another country? If so, we need your help! Please take a minute to complete the survey so that the results will more accurately represent the opinions of library staff across the United States as well as internationally (as of now, 2.5% of our respondents are international).

Edited to add: Thank you for your interest! The survey is now closed. Preliminary results will be posted to the blog in December.

~Linda

Edited: November 17th, 2010

New 60-Second Survey: Privatization of Public Libraries

Recently, the New York Times published an article about the privatization of public libraries. This article described the trend in some communities to turn over the management of public libraries to private organizations. In response to this article, library staff engaged in spirited online discussions about whether libraries should be privatized. Taking notice of these discussions, Library Research Service at the Colorado State Library has launched a new 60-Second Survey to get your opinions about privatization. Do you think privatization is a good option for libraries? How would it impact library collections, services, staff, and patrons? You tell us.

Edited to add: Thank you for your interest! The survey is now closed. Preliminary results will be posted to the blog in December.

~Linda

Edited: November 8th, 2010

The Future of the Book 60-Second Survey Results

Last winter, LRS posted a 60-Second Survey on “The Future of the Book.” More than 1,300 people responded, with nearly 950 leaving additional comments about their thoughts on the topic.  With all that information, we were able to write two Fast Facts providing analysis of both the results and the comments.

The comments proved to be one of the most interesting aspects of the survey, revealing passionate and philosophical thoughts on the future of paper and electronic books. Six common themes emerged as influences on future format choices: the existence of multiple formats, technological advantages, emotional/aesthetic appeal of paper books, content, cost, and change over time/generation. The first Fast Facts addresses results and comments related to cost and technological advantages of paper versus electronic formats, while the second report discusses the remaining comment categories and how they related to the type of library in which survey respondents worked and whether they owned an e-reader.

~ Jamie H.

Edited: August 18th, 2010

Results from the 60-Second Survey: The Future of the Book

Last month we asked what you thought of the future of the book in our latest 60-second survey, aptly titled, The Future of the Book. More than 1,300 people took our survey and this is what they said…

When asked, “Do you think paper books will eventually disappear,” almost 2 out of 3 respondents (63%) said paper books would never disappear. 15 percent said books would disappear within the next 50 years, 11 percent said within 51-100 years, and 11 percent said books would disappear in more than 100 years.
(Click on a chart for a larger, more detailed image.)

When asked, “What do you predict libraries will circulate in 10 years,” 43 percent of our respondents predict an equal amount of physical and electronic materials. On the other hand, only a slightly lower percentage of respondents – 39% – predict that libraries will circulate more electronic materials than physical.

Our survey also asked in what format (audio, electronic, or paper) respondents currently read fiction, non-fiction, and textbooks, as well as how they predict how they will read those materials 10 years from now. Those that use audio did not expect much change in 10 years (less than 1% change in each category). The largest expected transformation among respondents was for textbooks. 10 percent currently read them in an electronic format, but 59% expect to be reading them electronically in 10 years.

Survey respondents also predicted a change in how they will read fiction and non-fiction. Currently, 86 percent of our respondents read non-fiction in a paper format, but only 59 percent expect they will still be reading non-fiction that way in 10 years.

As for fiction, 88 percent of our respondents read fiction from paper books, but only 70% predict they will still read fiction that way in 10 years.

Additionally, almost 3 out of 4 of our respondents (71%) left comments about the future of the book. Stay tuned for more details about the results and the comments provided in an upcoming Fast Facts.

Let us know what you think about these results and the future of the book by leaving a comment below.

-Jamie

Edited: January 19th, 2010

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