The Professional Development Committee of NJLA has conducted several surveys of members (including library workers who are not members of NJLA) in 2022-2023, in order to develop programs and events to host or facilitate through sections and committees of NJLA (outside of the annual conference). Links to the text (questions) in each survey are listed in the attachments section of this page. 

January 2022 survey: Collection Development, Lending, and Technology

This survey ran from Jan. 10 to Jan. 31, 2022, and received 147 responses. This survey was promoted in six emails from the NJLA to members.

Multiple-choice questions were provided to determine which topics NJLA members were most interested in based on the categories provided, and respondents could also choose "other" for many questions and fill in a blank. Workshop preferences (virtual and in-person) were also requested to determine a location preference. The PD Committee shared the results with the relevant committees and sections for follow-up. 

Topic #2: Other suggestions

• CD Policies and Resource Challenges
• Marketing Collections Resources via Amore platform or Google Slides/Bitmoji - Virtual Bulletin Boards
• LCSH in Diversity and Equity
• Shrinking/Libraries on smaller budgets
• ROI on Promotion of Collections
• Local History Collections
• ILL Best Practices
• Weeding and Disposal Options
• Partnerships with K-12 schools
• Outreach
• Readers Advisory
• Databases
• Grants
• Risk Management
• Staff Development/Basic Library Skills
• Managing Difficult Patrons/Mental Health

We also asked whether respondents would like to attend events in person, and whether they would prefer single-day or multiple-day events:

Topic #4- In terms of workshops, would you prefer they be held (either via Zoom or in-person):

• One day: 113 responses
• Multiple Days: 42 responses

March 2022 survey: Personal/Career Professional Development

This survey ran from March 11-31, 2022. The survey was promoted via three emails from the NJLA to members, as well as two NJSL Direct newsletters from the New Jersey State Library. We also asked that members distribute this survey widely to their library worker colleagues in New Jersey, even if they are not NJLA members. We received 38 responses.

Multiple-choice questions were provided to determine the level of interest in the categories provided, and respondents could also fill out the open-ended questions at the bottom of the survey. 

Topic #1: Personal career development and communication (Select as many topics that you are interested in).

All 38 participants responded to this topic.

TOPIC # 1: PERSONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION

Topic #2: Career Professional Development (Select as many topics that you are interested in).

For this topic, there were 37 responses.

Topic #3: Education and training: Asking what types of training the respondents were interested in learning more about (not their current level of education or training).

For this topic, there were 31 responses.

Question #5: What professional development skills can library workers share with each other?

There were 12 responses:

1. I don't know.
2. Program ideas and social media skills.
3. Librarian/Library Workers’ experiences in their workplaces.
4. Sharing experiences--Someone has always been there and done that. Show and Tell--How I did that and survived.
5. How to take initiative; how to present ideas to your supervisor or director; how (and why it's important) to be involved in professional organizations, your consortium, or local groups.
6. Programming ideas and brainstorms, work horror stories, and lessons learned.
7. Managing and hiring staff; learning how to budget.
8. Interpersonal skills, dealing with conflict, difficult patrons, etc.
9. Technology tips.
10. Customer service and relationship building, no matter what position you hold in your library (degree or no degree). 
11. Current career goals, tips and tricks for librarians to learn on the job. 
12. I have long wished for a "here's what worked for me and how I did it" for programming and marketing, especially for branch librarians or someone working with a smaller budget/less resources.

Question #6: Any other comments or questions? Please include below.

There were six responses:

1. Please expand the focus beyond public libraries.
2. Thank you.
3. I wasn't sure if Topic #3 was asking what education and training we already have (Master's degree) or what we would be interested in obtaining (Career training or certificates), so I answered it as the latter. I apologize if I answered it incorrectly!
4. We need training for those without the MLS degree on every level.
5. N/A.
6. Please stop politicizing the NJLA. As librarians, our mission should be to serve everyone without bias. Our job is literally to ensure equal access to information so individuals can make informed decisions for themselves. More and more, we are being offered ideology rather than practical professional knowledge. If patrons and fellow library workers can guess my political leanings, then I have failed at my job and have already alienated half of the population.

May 2022 survey: Programming for the Library's Community/Patrons

NJLA’s Professional Development Committee conducted a survey in May 2022, seeking the responses of NJLA members and other library workers, about areas they would like to learn about in order to provide programming to their libraries' community/patrons. This survey, the third of three planned, ran from May 6-31, 2022, and received 34 responses. This survey was promoted in four emails from the NJLA to members, and in the May issue of the PD Newsletter.

The survey had five questions. The first three questions were multiple choice (on programming for Children, Teens/Young Adults, and Adults). Respondents could choose as many programs as they were interested in, or if their work did not involve that area, choose “not interested in this area.” They could also enter their own “other” suggestions. (In the charts below, all of the answers with one respondent were “other” answers.)

Question 4 asked, “What challenges do you face in reaching out to your community or publicizing your programs?” Question 5 was “Any other comments?” All of the answers to those questions are listed below.

The PD Committee is sharing the results with the relevant committees and sections for follow-up.

Question #4: “What challenges do you face in reaching out to your community or publicizing your programs?” (22 responses)

1. Folks do not seem to register for programs even when registration is required; not so much an issue for staff-led programs as we are here anyway, but becomes a problem with outside presenters who don't want to come in for a handful of people --- but then more people show up anyway.
2. We are not reaching all members of the community through our usual channels of advertising.
3. Not reaching everyone for which the program is intended
4. We have trouble reaching adults without young children. Our part-time staff are not interested in providing word of mouth about our programs or services.
5. Bi-Lingual Programming
6. We do a good job of marketing to patrons that are already using us (e.g. physically coming in, subscribed to our newsletter, following us on social media, etc.), but we're really having a hard time engaging those "cold" residents who do not have any existing connection to the library.
7. Due to COVID + our unique situation of not having a physical building since Sept 1, 2021, we have lost some engagement with our community and can't rely on in-person publicity and word-of-mouth. We have a lot of work to build up attendance and awareness.
8. Large immigrant, mainly Hispanic community
9. Library space doesn't lend itself to classes teaching life skills, including computer and language skills.
10. Our community doesn't attend programs. We don't know why or how to motivate them.
11. Money. Bi-Lingual Presentation.
12. We are not always able to reach our minority communities.
13. Engaging with community members who are not already using the library regularly.
14. Though we extensively promote our programs, including on social media, we don't seem to be reaching as many people as we'd like
15. Not all patrons have regular computer and/or internet access. We struggle to reach patrons who have limited digital access or who don't come into the building often.
16. Not currently planning programming particularly....but skill building for future event planning. 
17. No matter how we communicate our events, whether on social media, traditional print formats, outdoor signage, and word of mouth networking, people still tell us after the fact that they didn't know about a particular program or event and it is very hard not to become discouraged. Suggestions like posting signs in local shop windows are not realistic, given the fact that we are currently so understaffed that it is all we can do to keep the public service desks staffed.
18. People don't want to leave their houses. Or they don't know what we are offering!
19. Competition with NY City events that may be more expensive but can advertise more. 
20. Using other than social media for publicity. 
21. It is challenging to get non-users to use the library, especially those who only think of the library as a place to store books!
22. Getting the word out effectively to a wide range of community members, especially those who do not use social media. This has been exacerbated since our local hometown newspaper stopped printing and now has a virtual edition.

Question #5: Any other comments? (8 responses)

1. Money is always tight!
2. With our building situation (plus COVID), it has been hard to focus on new trends and programming ideas with our community. Staff has been insulated- some more than others- and it would be helpful to know the big and small ways we can connect with the public...from urgent needs to pop culture.
3. Money, Money, Money. Programs aren't free and our budget is tight.
4. Though we had an ESL program for years, we were not able to provide this during the Pandemic.
5. How do we learn the needs and interests (so we can develop appropriate programs) of people who do not come into the library? If we don't know what people need/want, we can't design the programs. If they don't come into the library and we don't go out of the library, we can't learn what people need/want. We need programs that teach us librarians how to get out of the library so we can learn what we don't know.
6. Thanks for aiding all of us in facilitating Best Practices sharing opportunities!
7. What I would really appreciate is having the opportunity to get some hands on training for myself and my staff in how to properly set up equipment for offering programs in a hybrid format.
8. It's always good to brainstorm with and learn about the experiences of other programming library staff.

January-February 2023 survey: Technical Services and Collection Development

In September 2022, the NJLA's Technical Services and Collection Development (TS/CD) Section asked the PD Committee to create an in-depth survey about cataloging and collection development to learn more about programming needs for their section. The PD Committee released a similar survey in January 2022: Collection Development, Lending, and Technology. Both groups met via Zoom to plan the survey in October 2022. The survey was released to members of NJLA on January 27 and ran through February 28, 2023. It received 31 responses. The survey was promoted in three emails from NJLA to its members. Similar to the previous collection development survey, it contained multiple choice questions to determine which topics members were most interested in to determine future programming. The PD Committee shared the results with the TS/CD Section.

(Click any of the images below to enlarge it and open it in a new window.)

Total Responses: 31 

Question #1

Question #2: What types of programs or events would you like to see the NJLA Technical Services/Collection Development section to offer?  Please select as many topics as you are interested in.

Question #3

Question #4

Question #5: Any other comments or questions? Please include below.

4 responses. 

• More attention to history collections in small libraries
• I am totally new to Tech Services (after 40 years in Ref!). I need to learn a lot -- fast!
• Thank you!
• Selecting adult materials is a small part of my job, and I'm interested in best practices for ordering the best books in the shortest amount of time.
   

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  June 2023 Survey: Library Advertising and Marketing

  This survey ran from June 9th-30th, 2023 and received 20 responses. The survey was promoted via three emails from the NJLA to members. This survey was created based on a response from a previous survey that came out in May 2022 about the difficulties of marketing and advertising in libraries.

  Question #1

Question #2: If using more than one, which have you found to be the most successful? 

20 Responses

Question #3:

Question #4:

Question #5:

Question #6:

Question #7:

Question #8:

Question #9:

Question #10:

The questions below pertained to outreach related questions. This section could be skipped by participants if not selected. 

Question #11: Which organizations do you work with on promotion, and how?

21 responses

1. Local newspapers (print & digital), school district email blasts, municipal newsletter, flyers in local business locations, senior center, local senior living community, realtors welcome to town packets, electronic sign in center of town (owned by municipality). 
2. Local papers, parenting websites, NJ.com, public access channel, local downtown management committee, New Jersey Monthly. 
3. Newspapers and county administration through weekly press releases.
4. We work with our "community partners" which are local businesses and nonprofits who we partner with on projects throughout the year (for instance the chamber of commerce.. restaurants who donate food for programming, etc) and we will tag them in posts and they will tag us.
5. Municipality, consortium, newspapers, and news websites
6. City of Garfield Events Committee
7. Partnering with local organizations & local press. Our town at one point had an email newsletter that we could also use to highlight activities, but that has not been active since we got a new mayor/administration.
8. Radio, authors, community organizations that we partner with, press releases to county, state and media contacts beyond. 
9. None
10. Rec Dept in town, Facebook community groups. Local news has basically died and are hard to reach. But we have a small local news org that helps.
11. We send press releases to TapInto and The Summit Times. We also ask the City to share certain posts. We sometimes have HomeTowne TV come to film a program. We work with local businesses for Summer Reading prizes and discounts for Library Card Sign Up Month (the post flyers in their business). We attend distribution night at a local community nonprofit called GRACE. And just general outreach as well!
12. Primarily the Township (the Township has a print newsletter and a television station) and the local TapInto. 
13. We also work with local clubs and similar organizations on some events. 
14. N/A
15. The municipality shares and likes our social media posts, local news website publishes our press releases and covers large events, special events are promoted through the school district's newsletters. 
16. Local government, local news site, Chamber of Commerce, our consortium. All of these entities will share press releases about upcoming programs and news if requested.
17. Schools, Chamber of Commerce, Family Success Center. 
18. Township (Billboard advertising), Patch online newspaper - events, articles
19. N/A
20. Local newspaper
21. Woodbridge Township

The questions below are related to the Challenges related to Advertising & using Social Media category that was created for this survey. 

Question #12: What are your challenges related to advertising and marketing?

20 responses- some comments were shortened for length. 

Question #13: What skill training or programs can NJLA offer to help you navigate social media and promote your library more effectively?

14 responses

1. Marketing messaging (good marketing is more than a theme; good marketing needs a purpose), graphic design, QR code usage training, access to printing services at discounted rates.
2. Creating a marketing plan and analyzing its effectiveness.
3. I think it would be helpful for library workers or librarians that have been successful in using marketing to get patrons interested in using the library more often (or new patrons in the door) to share what they think is most effective.
4. Social media 101, graphic design, and website accessibility.
5. Marketing Design. 
6. Staying up to date on website and enewsletter/communication design is helpful, ways to automate that are inexpensive.
7. How-to use different platforms in a technical sense, best practices. 
8. A good planning program would help. And ideas for content during "slow" seasons.
9. It would be helpful to add marketing positions to the NJLA Salary Guide. I would also like to see a highlight (maybe monthly?) on how different libraries around the state use social media. It's always helpful to see how other people are doing it!
10. Learning about high-level process development and efficiency improvement would be useful. 
11. A program on basic graphic design for non-designers would be great.
12. Best practices and tips for reaching out to local media: newspapers, radio, creative outside the box ways to advertise. 
13. How to use Constant contact effectively; the use of surveys to gain knowledge. 
14. Flyer design, hashtag use, how to make engaging post. 

Question #14: Any other comments or questions? Please include below.

3 responses. 

1. The best use of a marketing budget is for a library to hire a marketing professional.
2. N/A
3. Occasional(!) Market Research surveys are key to learning about the wants and needs of your target audience. Having spent 35 years as a marketing research professional, I understand how vital knowledge is to communication.