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Press Release from Primary Research Group, Inc.
Primary Research Group Inc. has published The Survey of Library Services for
Distance Learning Programs (ISBN: 1-57440-098-3). The Survey of Library Services
for Distance Learning Programs presents benchmarking data from more than 100 college
libraries concerning their programs for serving their distance learning students. This 145
page report gives extensive data, broken out by size and type of college, for public and
private colleges, and for U.S. and Non-U.S. libraries. Among the more than 500 tables of
data presented is information about: use of real time chat and virtual reference services
for distance learners; percentage of libraries that offer special classes for distance learners;
future plans to offer information literacy courses to distance learners; policies on
providing web pages, blogs or listservs that specifically serve the needs of distance
learners; number of interactive online tutorials provided to distance learners; state of
relations between the library and distance learning instructors and data on many, many other facets of distance learning librarianship.
Some of the reports many findings are that:
Exactly half of survey respondents offered special classes or training programs
for distance learners. Non-U.S. libraries were 20% more likely than U.S. libraries to
offer such classes.
Just over a third of the sample, 37%, offered any kind of formal non-credit or
credit course worth 1, 2, or 3 credits on the subject of information literacy for either
distance learners or traditional students.
The majority of the sample, over 72%, had a Web page on the library Website
dedicated to the needs of distance learners.
Private colleges reported almost 3 times the mean number of interactive online
tutorials as public colleges, as well as 3 times the median.
Seven in 10 respondents did not keep track of distance learners' usage of library-
sponsored, posted or directed tutorials and guides to the library's resources, compared
to traditional students. Over 14% reported that distance learners and traditional
students used these tutorials and guides to the same extent, while over 11% reported
that distance learners actually used these resources more than traditional students.
Over a third of the sample had an equivalent to the traditional orientation
program for new distance learners. Over 40% of U.S. libraries and 16% of non-U.S.
libraries had an orientation program for distance learners.
Just over half of the sample, 53%, maintained agreements with other libraries to
offer services to the college's distance learners.
Colleges with a smaller number of students enrolled in distance learning tended
to be more likely to have reciprocal agreements to provide library services to the
distance learning students of other colleges. Over 90% of colleges with fewer than
250 FTE distance learners offered their library access or services to students
enrolled in other colleges' distance learning programs, but just 47% of colleges with
between 250 and 999 FTE distance learners reported the same, as did 63% of
colleges with between 1,000 and 2,000 FTE distance learners and over 55% of
colleges with over 2,000 FTE distance learners.
78% of colleges with over 2,000 FTE distance learners had a liaison to the
distance learning program, compared with 68.4% of colleges with between 1,000 to
2,000 FTE distance learners and 71% of colleges with fewer than 250 FTE distance
learners.
Just over 11% of the sample had a specific disbursement or line item in the
library budget for distance learning programs.
The mean shipping costs accrued annually by sending physical books,
magazines and other educational materials to distance learners was $2,048, with a
median of $75 and maximum of $19,850.
Just over half of the sample, over 52%, reported that they had no restrictions on
the delivery of books, articles and other paper versions of intellectual property to
distance learners, meaning that they deliver such materials even if the students live
close to campus,
The vast majority of the sample, close to 89%, reported that the cost of shipping
library materials to distance learners was generally paid for by the library
This 145 page reports presents a broad range of data about the relationship between
college libraries and distance learning programs. Data is broken out for public and
private colleges, by enrollment size and by Carnegie Class, and other criteria, to
allow for easier benchmarking.
The price of the report is $75.00 for the print version and $75.00 for the PDF
version, which allows for a print out and some electronic access.
Site licenses are also available. For a complete table of contents, excerpts and other
information, visit our website at www.primaryresearch.com.
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