Okay, so the best way to find out something is to ask someone. But what's the best way to ask so that you get an answer to the question that you meant to ask and not to the question they thought that you asked? Join Kathryn Brockmeier, Nebraska Library Commission Research Analyst, for some tips and techniques for getting the information you need.

1. Surveys, focus groups& observation Or, How to find out stuff from people in your community NCompass Live – March 10, 2010

2. About the presenter Research Analyst Special Projects Associate Grant writer Evaluator Kathryn.Brockmeier@Nebraska.gov 402.471.4002

3. About you Your role Library Director Trustee Friends/Foundation Board Member Your credentials

4. About you, cont’d

5. Information needs for… Planning Strategic plan Marketing plan Budget justification Return on investment Grant writing, fundraising Capacity building Feasibility study Needs assessment Program planning Reporting Stakeholders Annual report Program evaluation

6. What’s the goal? Building customer/patron loyalty Identifying attractive prospects Focusing on high potential customers/patrons Predicting future usage patterns Improving return on investment Identifying new products and services

7. What’s the question? Satisfaction, performance Service, programming, accessibility needs Opportunities, problems, challenges, barriers Expectations, reputation Value, worth Comparison Users, non-users Usage patterns Snapshot

8. Participants/Subjects, cont’d. Users Patrons Visitors One-time Regulars Age, Ethnicity, Gender, Disability, Geography, Income Type of check-outs Type of questions Non-users Potential users Admirers, loyalty Aware Informed Unaware Uninformed Computer owners Book buyers

9. Gather the Information Surveys Individual interviews Focus groups Observations Expert opinions Number gathering Existing data, demographics, reports

10. Surveys Questionnaire Mail, paper-and-pencil Group-administered Internet E-mail Interview Personal Telephone

11. Surveys, cont’d. Advantages No interviewer bias Inexpensive Repeatable Often gains thoughtful answers More respondents Candid responses if confidentiality is ensured Easy to analyze Disadvantages Doesn’t ensure qualified respondents Low response rate Inability to gain further detail / probe Poor turnaround time

12. Surveys, cont’d. Population Sample Questions Content Bias Administration

13. Focus groups A focus group is a special kind of group discussion that is designed to elicit information about the wants, needs, viewpoints, beliefs, and experiences of your intended audience Focus groups can help you better understand the expressions and terminology commonly used by people in your audience, as well as their attitudes and beliefs about libraries and library services

14. Focus groups, cont’d. Focus groups are especially good at helping to uncover the reason behind people's responses, e.g., why they prefer certain terms or why they would or would not do something As a result, focus groups can also play a useful role in evaluations by shedding light on short-term outcomes and helping to explain findings from surveys

15. Focus groups, cont’d. Pros Generate, explore, and identify key ideas/concepts Understand your population Read non-verbal feedback Used to identify themes or capture ideas Questions can be asked as they arise Explore related and unanticipated topics as they arise Can distribute questionnaires Cons Bias Small group Analysis can be difficult Need trained interviewers or moderators Unable to make major decisions based on the information Can’t necessarily generalize the findings to the population Must find a suitable place to conduct interview

16. Focus groups, cont’d. Number of sessions Time required Number of participants Choosing participants Compensation Cost

17. Focus groups, cont’d. 8 steps to planning and implementing focus groups Identify what you want to accomplish and the resources you have available Choose your method and plan how you will select and recruit your respondents Decide where you will conduct the focus groups Decide how you will conduct the focus groups Recruit your respondents and make the practical arrangements Prepare your interview or focus group guide: what questions will you ask? Conduct your focus groups and record the feedback Analyze and apply what you have learned Source: http://www.talkingquality.gov/docs/section5/5_3.htm

18. Observation How people are using the library space itself Explore the dynamics of visitor behavior Measure visitor interactions at touch points in the library

19. Observation, cont’d. Location Reading areas Meeting rooms Computer labs Parking Circulation desk Telephone, computer Stacks Usage Reference questions User intercept Computers Catalog Browsing Check out/circulation

20. Observation, cont’d. Location Reading areas Meeting rooms Computer labs Parking Circulation desk Telephone, computer Stacks Usage Reference questions User intercept Computers Catalog Browsing Check out/circulation

21. Observation, cont’d. Advantages Bird’s-eye view Rich content Unique method Disadvantages Time Fewer data points May be difficult to analyze

22. Observation, cont’d. Dedicate staff time to the effort Study all times of day, days of week Train staff to gather without judgment Train, try, assess, retool Consider bringing in outside opinions Train all staff to observe and report

23. Observation, cont’d. Determine an annual estimate by counting data points during a typical week in October and multiply the count by 52 “Typical week”: neither unusually busy nor unusually slow Avoid holiday times, vacation periods for key staff, or days when unusual events are taking place in the community or library Choose a week in which the library is open its regular hours Include 7 consecutive calendar days, from Sunday through Saturday (or whenever library is usually open)

24. Observation, cont’d. Density Maps Activity Map Patrons Who Visit Each Section First Patrons Who Request Each Assistance Type Computer Use Chart and Computer Length of Use Chart Paper-and-pencil Video

25. Data Collection Paper-and-pencil E-mail Web Computer Quantitative Qualitative Entry/storage Excel, spreadsheet Paper-and-pencil Final notification Analysis Quantitative Qualitative

26. Analysis / Reporting Counts Percentages Averages Frequency Categories Patterns Quotes Coding

27. Examples Website improvement Internet survey using SurveyMonkey.com Observation: usability testing Feasibility study Mail survey: sample of general population Focus groups: stakeholders Observation: patrons and library users

28. Resources Free Management Library managementhelp.org Planning for Results The New Planning for Results Research Methods Knowledge Base www.socialresearchmethods.net WebJunction www.webjunction.org

29. Next steps Evaluation

30. Questions? CE credits Evaluation

31. Related topics NCompass Live Archived sessions Presenting Data in Meaningful and Interesting Ways – Jan. 1, 2010 http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=9338 American Factfinder - Mining the U.S. Census for Information about Your Community – Dec. 9, 2009 http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=9297

32. Upcoming sessions Tech Talk with Michael Sauers – March 17 http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=9484 Adventures in Facebook: Getting your library on board – March 24 http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=9475 r u game? Game Night @ Perkins Library – March 31 http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=9510 Introduction to WorldCat – April 7 http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=9511