StLA Keyholder letter

October 1, 2007

Dear StLA Key Holder:

Congratulations on being named Key Holder for the State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey for fiscal year (FY) 2007. You will play an important role in this national data collection effort sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). We look forward to working with you.

Background

This annual survey is the 14th in a series of successful StLA surveys administered through a cooperative effort of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), the U.S. Census Bureau (the data collection agent), and now the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is authorized to collect these data under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved this voluntary data collection through XX-XX-XXXX.

Survey Content and Data Collection Schedule

The FY 2007 StLA Survey content is similar to last year. As in past years, many items are completed for you with prior-year responses when the data are not expected to change annually, but please update any information that has changed.

The functionality of the Web-based survey application has not changed. A User Guide (see Attachment B or the Web version on the Help menu) and on-line Tutorial (on the Help menu) provide a general overview of how the Web application works.

Key dates on the FY 2007 StLA Survey schedule are:

• Survey information package mailed: October 1, 2007

• Registration/data collection begins: October 17, 2007

• John Lorenz Award: January 17, 2008*

• Survey close-out: February 15, 2008**

*The survey must be submitted by this date to receive the John Lorenz Award for Timely and Accurate Submission of StLA Data.

**This is the final survey submission date.

Key Holder’s Responsibility

Your State Librarian has designated you as the Key Holder for the FY 2007 StLA Survey. As Key Holder, you are responsible for your state’s data submission. This packet contains the following information to help you register and submit data for your agency:

• Key Holder Certificate (Attachment A). This document contains the web address for on-line registration/data collection, key survey dates, your StLA user ID and password, and StLA Help Desk information. Please keep this document in a safe place, and do not share your user ID or password with anyone.

• User Guide (Attachment B). This document contains important information for proper use of the web-based StLA Survey system. The guide is also available on-line on the Help menu.

• State Librarian Certification Form (Attachment C). This document certifies the accuracy of your data submission. You have the option of (1) forwarding an electronic form (which you will receive via e-mail upon submitting your data) to your State Librarian, with a request that they simply forward it directly from their e-mail address to Cindy Sheckells at [email protected] to certify the accuracy of the data, or (2) faxing a signed paper form to Cindy Sheckells at 866-394-0138.

• FY 2007 StLA Survey (Attachment D). This is an informational copy of the survey only and should not be filled out and returned.

Your first step is to register as the StLA Key Holder (See Attachment A). Please register promptly, to enable identification of all Key Holders and to eliminate unnecessary follow-up by Census in this regard. The registration site asks for specific contact information which will be used by Census in all further contacts with your StLA during this data collection. If more than one staff person will enter data into the web-based survey form, you may request additional user IDs and passwords for them under the Tools menu. However, all contacts with your StLA will flow through you as the StLA Key Holder, and only you can submit the data. Census will review your submission and contact you about any questionable data.

IMLS will provide tabulations of the final data in a report and in Supplemental Tables to the report that will be mailed to you as soon as they are available. These data products and the final data file will also be available over the Internet on the IMLS web site at http://imls.gov/XXXX.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no person should be asked to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 3137-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 11 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions for improving the form, please write to: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1800 M Street NW, 9^th floor, Washington, D.C. 20036-5802. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to Cindy Sheckells at U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, D.C. 20233 or at [email protected].

Technical assistance for your data submission will be available from IMLS and Census. If you need any additional information or have any questions, please contact the StLA Help desk at Census: [email protected] or 1-800-451-6235. We look forward to receiving your FY 2007 StLA data submission, and I thank you in advance for your time and effort in completing this important survey.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXX

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