Please take a few minutes to answer the survey below and give us your feedback that will greatly help the leadership of SOA. We want our programs to provide maximum benefit to our members and we value your advice. We also want to encourage participation and strengthen our membership.
An SOA Council Member may call you to discuss your ideas and feedback. If you do not want to receive a call, please check no to question #36.
Please complete the survey by October 14th, 2005.
If you have any questions about this survey or would like to request a paper copy, please contact Vic Fleischer at Youngstown State University by phone at 330-941-3788 or by email at svfleisc@cc.ysu.edu.
1. Which best describes your employment setting?
Academic
Museum/historical society
Government
Business/Corporate
Consultant/Self-employed
Retired
Student
Unemployed
2. What type of position do you have within your archives?
Director or head of one or more other archivists/special collections librarians
One archivist among other archivists/special collections librarians
A lone archivist/special collections librarian
Other (please specify)
3. What is the geographic location of your place of employment in Ohio?
Northeast
Northwest
Central
Southeast
Southwest
4. How many years have you been in the profession?
1-5
6-10
11-20
Over 20
5. What is your highest level of education obtained?
Bachelors
Masters
Second Masters
Doctorate
Other (please specify)
6. Into which age group do you fall?
Under 30
30-40
41-50
51-60
Over 60
7. What is your sex?
Male
Female
8. What is your ethnicity or race?
Hispanic
African-American
Native American
Caucasian
Asian or Pacific Islander
Other (please specify)
9. What are your primary professional responsibilities (check all that apply)?
Administration/Management/Supervision
Appraisal
Cataloging/Technical Services
Consulting
Outreach
Processing
Preservation/Conservation
Records Management
Reference
Other (please specify)
10. Does your organization pay for any portion of the following (check all that apply)?
Membership dues
Professional development seminars
Conferences
Meetings
Tours
Other (please specify)
11. What other professional organizations do you belong to (check all that apply)?
AASLH
ALA
ARMA
MAC
MARAC
NAGARA
OAHSM
OMA
OPC
SAA
SLA
Other (please specify)
12. How many years have you been an SOA member?
1-5
6-10
11-20
Over 20
13. What are your reasons for being a member of SOA (check all that apply)?
Networking
Educational programs/Professional development
Programs on current topics in the field
Career and employment assistance
Leadership and/or service opportunities
Committee/Membership opportunities
Requirement of job
Opportunities for awards/recognition
Other (please specify)
14. What is your current level of participation in SOA (check all that apply)?
Officer
Council member
Committee chair
Committee member
Contributor to the newsletter
Meeting host
Not involved
15. What is your past level of participation in SOA (check all that apply)?
Officer
Council member
Committee chair
Committee member
Contributor to the newsletter
Meeting host
Not involved
16. If you are not involved with SOA, why not (check all that apply)?
I am as involved as I want to be
Competing work priorities
Competing family priorities
Transportation challenges
I am not aware of opportunities
I do not know any members of SOA
No one in SOA has contacted me
My employer does not encourage involvement
I am involved in too many other organizations
Other (please specify)
17. Would any of the following facilitate your future involvement?
Increase publicity about committees or other opportunities to participate
Offer more short-term participation
Personal contacts from SOA officers/committee chairs
Other (please specify)
18. If you are willing to volunteer, please indicate your preference(s) and include your name and contact information at the end of this form:
Officer
Council member
Mentor
Meeting host
Committee member (please specify a committee)
19. Do you regularly attend SOA meetings and programs?
Yes
No
Local events only
20. Which of the following SOA meetings/conference did you attend (select all that apply)?
2003 Building Connections Conference
2004 Spring Conference
2004 Building Connections Conference
2005 Spring Conference
21. What are some of the reasons you have for NOT attending (check all that apply)?
I don’t have time/professional workload
I don’t get management support or approval
Meeting times/days are inconvenient
Meeting places are inconvenient (i.e. distance)
Topics/programming are not of interest
I am active in another organization
Cost
Not aware of meetings and programs
Other (please specify)
22. Was Building Connections an adequate substitute for our fall meeting?
Yes
No
23. What types of meetings/programs do you prefer (check all that apply)?
Presentations by information professionals
General interest topics
Panel presentations on professional topics
Vendor/dealer presentations
Round table/discussion groups
Business meetings
Local networking events
Tours
Social meetings
Other (please specify)
24. Are there any additional programs/activities you would like to see offered?
Yes (please specify)
No
25. How would you evaluate the effectiveness of these SOA services/activities as they are currently offered?
Board meetings and/or business meetings
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Professional development (workshops/programs) activities
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Opportunities to network/socialize with colleagues
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Opportunities to talk with vendors
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Opportunities to develop leadership skills
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Newsletter
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Student Chapters
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Website
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
Internship Program
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
26. How satisfied are you with SOA?
Poor
Acceptable
Good
Excellent
27. What could be done to improve SOA?
28. Please list any suggestions for topics for programs, discussion groups/breakout sessions.
29. Are you aware of the new listserv?
Yes
No
If so, are you subscribed?
Yes
No, explain
30. How do you learn about SOA events/activities?
Postings to the SOA listserv
SOA mailings
Postings to Archives & Archivists Listserv
SOA website
Other (please specify)
31. Does your organization participate in Archives Week?
Yes
No
If yes, how?
Display archives week poster
Speaker
Exhibit
Other (please specify)
32. Are you aware that SOA gives out merit awards?
Yes
No
33. What one program, activity, or service is most important for SOA to add?
34. What, if any, programs, activities, or services should SOA discontinue?
35. Please share any additional comments, suggestions, or concerns you have about SOA (e.g. services, activities, publications, programs, meetings/conferences, etc.).
36. Is it okay if an SOA council member contacts you to discuss the survey? If yes, write your name and contact information below in the space provided.
Yes
No
Optional
Name:
Title:
E-mail:
Organization:
Address:
Phone:
Thank you for taking time to provide information that will help to strengthen and improve our organization!