Pauline Manaka
Martha Smith
An evaluation form was distributed to conference attendees with the goal to
measure on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being least satisfied and 5 being most
satisfied, the following variables,
- Conference met expectations
- Keynote Speakers' presentations
- Breakout Session 1
- Breakout Session 2
- Breakout Session 3
- Breakout Session 4
- Poster Sessions
- Roundtable Discussion Groups
- Room Arrangements
- Meal Arrangements
- Cost of Conference registration
- Cost of the Conference hotel
75 people out of 170 conference attendees responded to the survey. This equals
44% survey response rate. The number of respondents grouped by institutional
affiliation are as follows:
The average scores of respondents' satisfaction with keynote presentations,
poster sessions, roundtable discussions, hotel accommodations, and cost of conference
registration are listed below: (Scale Index =5) See Table 1
TABLE 1
The following comments were provided in response to Question 6 of the
survey:
WHAT WERE THE MOST USEFUL FEATURES OF THIS CONFERENCE?
- "Meeting like-minded librarians"
"Virtual library and sharing information and ideas"
" Discussion groups speakers ( sessions included)"
"Seeing people, friends"
"Breakout sessions and poster sessions"
"Jerry Campbell, Barbara Will, Nancy Carter. Opportunities for networking/individual
conversation" "Networking with colleagues and breakout sessions"
"Great location for me; speaker's topics very relevant to my job; came
away enthusiastic to start new projects and make an effort to meet faculty"
"Talking networking with colleagues"
"Informal networking; find out what are current professional issues,
concerns and challenges"
"Networking; exposure to information and projects going on in various
sectors of the state and various library communities"
"Breakout session and keynote speakers very topical-stayed within context
of conference"
"Breakout sessions"
"The pre conference were a great often! They made for a very full day.
No time was wasted"
"Pre conferences, Jerry Campbell's speech"
"The planners here very organized. The hotel was fantastic"
"Roundtables; reception"
"The small groups or feedback; provocative speakers"
"Meeting librarians, learning current issues"
"Networking with colleagues"
"Seeing colleagues and talking to them"
"Keynote speech-Librarians/faculty; Session 2-Learning Communities"
"Variety in speakers; time to network with colleagues"
"Roundtable discussions, receptions"
"Information received from speakers"
"Keynote Speakers"
"Networking"
"Plenary Sessions-poster sessions"
"Relaxed, yet business-like pace-good break time "
"The small number of attendees made it easier to network"
"Lots of opportunity to meet people"
"The keynote speakers-all of them!! Good poster session format-nice size
space with refreshments, etc."
"Speakers"
"Poster sessions and small group discussions"
"Network with colleagues: poster sessions"
"The breakout sessions" Chance to meet new people. Sessions were
too long (45 minutes-1 hr time to set and listen)
"Pre-Conference workshop"
"Once again, CARL is superb at delivering practical timely information
that enables and encourages me to do my job"
"Networking and Keynote Speakers and roundtable discussions"
"Networking, meeting colleagues"
"Pre conferences, poster sessions"
"The smaller sessions"
"Size"
"Hearing about the consortia and California Library from B. Will and
Nancy of USD. Gabriella was also interesting"
"Thanks for starting later on Saturday and also for not crowding the
program with too many choices!!!"
"Chance to network and see colleagues"
"Breakout sessions, where more practical how-we-did this takes place"
WHAT WAS THE LEAST USEFUL FEATURE OF THIS CONFERENCE?
- "Breakout sessions though valuable"
"Keynotes"
"Awful location"
"2nd speaker was good at speaking and had a good tape, but far better
for a "how we did this well. Breakout session-not to move and excite
the way a keynote speaker can; not provocative."
"Coutear-repetitive and weak"
"Second Plenary Session: 'Passion and Pressure to Plans and Partnership'-topic
is passé Keynote speakers-bright people-poor speakers; maybe it was
too long"
"Keynote speakers"
"Lack of air-conditioning in meeting room"
"Seats need to be further apart for wiggling room"
"The date-September is a terrible time for academic librarians to leave
campus! Lets have a Halloween Conference"
"Pre conference: Breakout sessions on Friday tended to be "whine"
sessions. Didn't learn anything or get any ideas from it."
"Can't think of any-all useful"
"Some speakers were not that good boring"
"Nothing!"
"All was useful! Maybe, somewhat less (but only somewhat were poster
sessions and some presentations. "But all were good and useful."
"Pre conference CCIG started too early; Diversity speech was a bit redundant
for me; pre-conference; "Keynote speakers have very little to say that
was new and it could have been said more succinctly"
MY PRIMARY REASON FOR ATTENDING THIS CONFERENCE WERE:
- "Interested in Conference theme. Share ideas with other
librarians; committee work."
"Networking and learning skills and information that will help me with
my job"
"Relevant program-good speakers; short"
"Interesting topic given at poster sessions"
"Professional Development"
"Relevancy to my position"
"Staff development/ personal interest"
"Professional Development"
"local' commuted to CARL; involved in pre conferences"
"Look-see. What leadership opportunities I can get involved with."
"Network; hear presentations; meet with friends"
"Learning what others are doing; being with colleagues"
"Professional Development"
"Location, time of year, topics covered"
"As a librarian in a small private university, I depend on CARL to keep
me up-to-date with goings-on at the UC's and CSU's---as well as larger state
issues"
"Learn how to address new and continuing challenges of the profession;
networking"
"Networking, getting away for the weekend."
"To learn about CARL. To present a poster session."
"Presented at Poster session"
"To know/update knowledge about what is happening in libraries"
"Learning about different efforts in various libraries; seeing other
colleagues; exposure to speakers I don't ordinarily see/hear"
"Stay abreast with developments. Network with colleagues."
"Learning trends in collections development" "Find out what
others are thinking, doing"
"Meet people"
"Professional development"
"The conference topic"
"Not sure"
"Content and to support CARL"
"Networking"
"Supporting CARL, networking with colleagues"
"To network with others. Find out what others are doing in information
competency."
"Opportunity to ask questions of those engaged in innovating and collaborating
projects"
"Curiosity, I have never attended CARL"
"Like CARL Conferences-good way to keep up with current projects/trends
in California libraries"
"Professional Development"
"Update on outside activities"
"To get re-energized to be inspired, to get new ideas to tack back, to
hear of the future and friends"
"Networking with other academic librarians; location"
"To learn what are the trends in California academic libraries and to
have dialog with librarians from other institutions"
"Practical/Survival tips"
"Networking, gaining relevant information on programs and issues, be
motivated"
"Networking"
"Networking, learning and awareness"
"Topics presented"
"Professional Development "Last year's outstanding Conference in
Oakland--great speakers there-a hard act to follow"
"This is the local conference that energizes me in my work!"
ADDITIONAL TOPICS/SPEAKERS YOU WOULD SUGGEST FOT FUTURE CONFERENCES:
- "Breakout session on Assessment issues! I'd like to see
at least one non-librarian as a keynote speaker"
"Use of humor to cope with stress and enhance B1 sessions."
"information technology"
"What does it take to be prepared to be a library director for the early
part of the 21st century?"
"DistanceEducation/Learning-trends, what institutions are doing and why.
Community colleges-non-academic programs; how are those programs supported
or can they be, in the electronic library"
"Dialogue between library school faculty and practicing librarians"
"Innovations in teaching. How to do "One-shot" effective BI's.
Effective Coll. Development training programs" "Professional development:
funding, value to my career, learn to find good courses"
"Someone who thinks libraries have a future would be a pleasant change"
"Outside of librarianship with provocative/controversies ideas "
"Alternate funding sources, new ways to beef up BI's. Training new librarians"
"Let me think about it"
"Future of the reference desk; remote library instruction"
"scholarly Publishing; Electronic Reference Desk; look at new management
models for the library of the future"
"Workload-balancing act-practical methods/discussion on "doing it
all"
"Building ideas/plans"
"Pay-for-print stations/problems/advancements"
"Distributed/distance learning. Reaching non-traditional students. Terry
Lowell of UCSD is a great speaker, I understand."
WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE FUTURE CARL CONFERENCES?
- "Please ask the room arrangers to place a light on the
podium to light the speaker's face. I am deaf and lip-read and it was extremely
difficult to see the speakers' mouth because of bad lighting, shadows, back
lighting, etc. I'd be glad to consult with you on what you could do to prevent
this at future conferences. Sharon Chadwick"
"Thanks a lot for another great conference"
"Don't have in September-Especially not so close to Labor Day"
"While the location was great, it was very expensive. Even the restaurant
was pricey I'd rather stay at Embassy Suites where breakfast is free!"
"maybe less keynote speakers and more programs next year"
"Maybe a job fair for librarians with available positions to recruit
applicants"
"Shorter sessions (hour and a half too long)"
"Keep some time for discussion; good idea for roundtable groups."
"Like the poster sessions kept with refreshments in large facility to
accommodate both"
"Have them during the week so we don't have to give up a weekend. Thursday/Friday
with Saturday as the hold over day and Sunday to rest"
"Have an all membership meeting" "Not in September or October.
Have exhibits"
"Meeting rooms seemed cramped at times "Like the round table discussions"
"They seem to get better (I've attended 3). I've liked this one the best,
program wise."
"More local speakers"
"Few speakers on more substantive topics. Go outside library profession.
How about a dean or head of campus computing center and/or distributed learning"
"Put roundtables in middle of conference, not at end"
"You did a great job-lots of planning was evident here"
"I'm not sure it works well to have Roundtables as the last event. People
tend to drift off, there's a lack of sense of finality, and no clear time
to make final announcements"
"Have (Selected) conference speaker notes, handouts, available online
for a certain length of time after conference."
"Workshop on mentoring, developing library leaders. How to work in the
administrative atmosphere, showcase your library web site."
"Keep providing snacks!"
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
- "Need better organized group activities."
"Much better than last year-focused presentations at breakouts were excellent"
"Seemed very planned and organized. Kudos" "Well done!"
"Room at lunch was too cold!!"
"Having the final keynote speaker as the last part of lunch was effective"
"This will be a tough act to follow!!
"The hotel and food were superb!! Reception was wonderful-we had enough
really good food and people stayed" "Roundtable on Library Instruction
was very informative"
"Meeting rooms were too crowed! Chairs too close together, chairs too
close to doors and refreshments"
"Excellent local arrangement and details"
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank you to all those who filled out the survey. CARL Conference
planners appreciate members' advice and input.
Submitted by:
Pauline Manaka (pdmanaka@uci.edu) &
Martha Smith (msmith@rocky.claremont.edu)
For the CARL Sixth Annual Conference Planning Committee:
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