[mla-nynj] PLEASE PLEASE Get Started with the MLA Benchmarking Survey

[Michelle Brewer]

Dear NY-NJ Chapter Members, 
(aplogies for cross posting) 

ONLY 10 libraries in the NY-NJ Chapter have completed the MLA Benchmarking Survey!  Where is everyone? 

PLEASE PLEASE get started with the MLA Benchmarking Survey. Don't worry about completion, just please log-in and get started. Do the basic info and print out the rest and work on that a bit at a time. But GET STARTED!  Please. 

Am I crazy to expect every hospital librarian to participate at the very least?  If you participate I can promise you a chance at one of the prizes below and a "No Whining" button.

Details follow if needed. 

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Important News! The 3rd MLA "2007 Health Sciences Library Statistics and Benchmarking Survey" is open for data entry from now until December 31, 2007

Go to http://www.mlanet.org/resources/benchmark07/ to learn more and to begin entering your data (see Tips below). All health sciences libraries can participate, regardless of whether they are MLA members. Hospital and health sciences libraries that do not enter AAHSL data are strongly encouraged! 

INCENTIVES ~ Win a prize! 
I might as well say this right upfront! 

*	Win! The NY-NJ Chapter of MLA will put names in a hat and give away one free MLA membership to any Chapter member successfully completing their survey and submitting their data to MLA by Dec. 31. 

*	Win! The Health Sciences Library Association of NJ will put names in a hat and give away one PocketPC to any HSLANJ member successfully completing their survey and submitting their data to MLA by Dec. 31. 

Other Benefits:
OK, prizes are great, but visit the site to find FAQs, success stories, research vignettes, and much more to motivate you and help you through the process. Data entry does not have to be completed in a single session; you can save your work and come back to it later.

It is perhaps even more imperative that hospital and system libraries participate, because this data may be vitally needed by MLA to advocate on your behalf.  Data from the survey can be used in responses to the Joint Commission for any proposed changes to the Information Management standard anticipated for next year. 

TIPS ~ TIPS ~ TIPS ~ Small Bytes! Slow and steady wins the race. 

*	1. Schedule a day and hour to get started, and stick to it. Print out the 2007 data entry worksheet <file:///resources/benchmark07/worksheet_2007.html> .  It is accessible to Chapter and MLA members and is not passworded. 

*	2. If you are a Chapter member, but not a MLA member, print out the online form, fill out and send as instructed. This will get you a login and password. 

*	3.  Fill out the data entry worksheet in paper, as much as you can. For questions you can't complete, "tag" them: 

*	3A. For questions that require data others have, jot down who to email and plan a time to send all your data requests of others. 

*	3B. For questions where you need to spend time 'counting' highlight in yellow, and delegate, or set aside time to do. 

*	3C. For questions, that you have questions about, note with a ?? And send me an email, see below. 

*	4. Schedule a time to go back online, and enter all the data you could complete on the first round. 

*	5. Then schedule a time to go back online after you have all or almost all answers to your questions and counted, and complete. 

*	6. Then press the "Submit" button!  (note if you press it in error prior to finished, all is not lost. MLA can reactivate you. See contact information below). 

Details: 

*	Participation has been greatly expanded this time, to allow Chapter members (who may not be MLA members) to enter data, for MLA members, and the Canadian Health Libraries Association-- is participating. Some of the other changes include revised questions, preloaded data for those who participated in the 2004 survey, and an expanded and ongoing editing process. 

*	Hospital libraries, system libraries, AHEC libraries, research, corporate, association libraries, mental health, dental, public health, consumer, veterinary, departmental libraries -- are all encouraged. Circuit rider libraries, and librarians serving several hospitals as 'consultants' are also encourage to participate and contribute data for each library. Fill our the form on the site to request separate logins for each library for circuit riders and consultants. 

*	More participants mean more useful data, and this may be even truer regionally than it is nationally. 

*	So every health sciences library in New York and New Jersey is encourage to participate. Imagine 100% participation. 

*	The Benchmarking Network Editorial Board (BNEB) strongly encourages institutions and librarians that do not currently contribute to the survey of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) to participate in this unique, invaluable benefit. 

*	Data has been retained from 2004 and is automatically preloaded in each PROFILE field for participants to change or approve. For questions identified by the BNEB as CORE, previous participants will see their earlier data reported underneath each question but will need to physically enter the correct information for this survey. A progress bar indicates your progress through the data survey. Data confidentiality agreements are required of benchmark data editors. 

*	Non-MLA health libraries may request access to the 2007 survey by filling out the benchmarking access request form, located at http://www.mlanet.org/resources/benchmark07/access_form.html. Non-MLA participants will receive a discount on report subscriptions in 2008. 


Questions: 

*	If you have any questions about the questions, please contact me, I am not only editor of the survey, but the Chapter's benchmarking liaison. 
*	If you are having problems logging in, need your survey reactivated, or just can't get a hold of me, contact staff liaison Kate Corcoran.corcoran at mlahq.org and put 2007_benchmarking in the subject line. 


Michelle M. Volesko Brewer 
Director, Library & Corp. Info. Svcs. 
New Jersey Hospital Association 
Library & Training Depts. 
760 Alexander Road, P.O. Box 1 
Princeton, N.J. 08543-0001 
Voice: 609-275-4230; Fax: 609-806-4624 
Email: Work mbrewer at njha.com; 
NJHA Web: http://www.njha.com; NJHA Library Web Page: http://www.njha.com/librarysection/new.library.html