Cooperating Libraries of Greater Springfield

Summary of Union List survey taken in October 2004

Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to respond to our survey as we try to plan how to proceed with the Cooperating Libraries of Greater Springfield (CLGS) Union List. You sent us valuable information that will influence planning for the future. We will base a large portion of our decision-making on your responses.

In summary:

4 groups of contributors to the list were determined: the CLGS core libraries, public libraries, hospital libraries, other (GCC, BCC, Hampden Law, WMRLS)

Committee members took on responsibility for the survey for certain groups. Thanks go to Shirley Keech (WMRLS) for communicating with the public libraries, Susan LaForte (Shriners Hospital) for taking care of the hospital group, Mary Courtney (Elms College) and Lynn Eaton (S.T.C.C.) for the CLGS core and the ‘others’.

CLGS libraries: 10 were sent out, all 10 returned surveys

Publics: 7 sent out, 5 returned including 2 libraries that had dropped out in previous year

Hospitals: 8 sent out, 8 returned including 1 library that had dropped out in a previous year

Other: 4 sent out, 3 returned.

In general: All the CLGS libraries want to keep it as is with the possible addition of electronic titles (this is not universal, just what most said)

In almost total: All the Publics, but one, see no need for it. They note the statewide databases and the C/W MARS serials module.

In almost total: All the Hospitals, but two, see little need for it. They note the availability of Docline.

In the group of others: it was mixed: one adamant about keeping it. Another one has recently dropped out. The third says it will support the group, but finds it only somewhat useful at this point.

Comments ranged from:

We use it every week to we never use it anymore. It’s usefulness has passed to I don’t use it often, but when I need it, it’s just exactly what I need.

Almost no one wants to use it in paper form as it has been produced in electronic form now for the past 3 years.

It seems to be most useful to those libraries nearest to Springfield. Also, it seems to be useful to libraries with health related programs.

Almost all respondents expressed an interest in including electronic titles holdings in the list.

One respondent asked if the CLGS Union List could be a subset of Docline. This idea will be investigated. Thanks for the good idea!

So, in summary, we seem to have a split. The CLGS libraries would like to keep it going. Others, esp. those libraries not near Springfield are seeing less use for it as their patrons select resources based on easy access to full text databases rather than finding citations and then finding articles. Simply put, there are far more resources available now than there were 40 some years ago when the Union List began. The Union List is now seen by many as just one tool to use rather than as a major resource.

CLGS Union List ad hoc committee members are:

Mary Courtney, Elms College

Lynn Eaton, S.T.C.C.

Shirley Keech, WMRLS

Susan LaForte, Shriners Hospital

Bob Scheier, Springfield College

Carl Todd, H.C.C.