Survey of Cultural Programs for Adults in Public Libraries 1998 [United States] (ICPSR 35241)

Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)

Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection

Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes

Study Design View help for Study Design

The survey instrument was developed and pretested by the ALA staff team, and furnished to the LRC for survey administration. The sampling procedure consisted of an initial and two follow-up mailings, the last by certified mail. Surveys were sent by mail to a sample of 1,500 public libraries serving populations of 5,000 people or more - 1,229 completed surveys were returned. Half of the questionnaires were completed by library directors. The universe listing for the survey was the 1994 Federal-State Cooperative System (FSCS) annual directory published by the National Center for Education Statistics. The sampling frame included all libraries serving 100,000 people or more (n = 461) and a proportionately stratified sample of libraries serving populations of 5,000 to 99,999 (n = 2,384). Libraries serving populations under 100,000 also had to meet the following criteria for selection - at least one MLS-degree staff person, at least two paid full-time staff, open at least 40 hours per week, and operating expenditures of at least $100,000 per year. The data were collected between February 8 and May 1, 1998. A total sample of 1,500 was planned to compensate for attrition known to arise from several sources (refusal of libraries to participate in the study; non-response -- i.e., failure of libraries to complete and return the survey questionnaire).

Sample View help for Sample

The universe listing for the survey was the 1994 Federal-State Cooperative System (FSCS) annual directory file released on disk by the National Center for Education Statistics. The total sample was 1,500 libraries. The sample included all public libraries serving 100,000 or more (461) and a sample of 1,039 from libraries serving 5,000 or more and less than 100,000. To be eligible for the sample, a library had to meet the following criteria: serve 5,000 or more, at least one MLS librarian, at least two paid full-time staff, open at least 40 hours per week, and operating expenditures of at least $100,000 per year. When the four additional criteria were applied, a total of 2,384 libraries remained in this population grouping. The sub-universe of 2,384 was sorted in ascending order by size of population served. Using a random start, a systematic sampling of every second case was taken. With a yield of 1,192, every eighth case was systematically deleted (starting with a randomly chosen number between one and eight) to reach the resulting sample of 1,039 libraries. The total sample of 1,500 libraries is a proportionately stratified sample in the 5,000 to 99,999 population category and a census in the over 100,000 population category.

Time Method View help for Time Method

Universe View help for Universe

Public libraries serving populations of 5,000 people or more in the United States.

Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation

Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection

Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables

Data were collected on the types of adult cultural programming offered at each library, program attendance and funding, collaboration with other organizations on cultural programs, the cultural role of the library, and the relative availability of cultural programming in the community served by the library.

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

Of the 1,500 public libraries serving populations of 5,000 people or more, 1,229 completed surveys were returned, for a response rate of 81.9 percent.

Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2015-05-27

Version History View help for Version History