StLA Survey User Guide (FY2009)

User Guide
FY 2009 StLA Survey
Introduction
The User Guide contains important information for proper use of the web-based StLA Survey system. If
you have a problem in the use of the system, please contact the survey administrator at
[email protected] or 1-800-451-6235.
Overview
The StLA survey consists of Parts A through N. The entire process consists of seven steps: login,
registration, data entry, reviewing the edit report, resolving all edit messages, submitting the survey data,
and submitting the State Librarian certification form to certify the accuracy of the data.
Online State Librarian certification of the data's accuracy works as follows: After the Key Holder locks the
survey data, a message will be sent to the State Librarian's e-mail describing the electronic and paper
certification options. The State Librarian can certify online by clicking on a specified link within the e-mail.
The Key Holder will be informed immediately via e-mail if the State Librarian uses this method.
Otherwise, the Key Holder should submit the signed certification form to the Census Bureau by regular
mail or fax.

Login
Access to the survey system is granted with a valid user ID and password. After a successful login, the
user should select the Continue button to advance to the survey Part A page. This page includes a
banner with five menus (Survey, Reports, Tools, Help, and Log Off), and links on the left side of the
screen to the Registration site and Parts A to N of the survey.
The first time you log into the system, you will be required to register. On subsequent logins, you will be
taken to the survey Part A page.
Registration
Prior to entering the survey data, registration must be completed by providing information for all items with
asterisks (**). Registration information may be updated (for example, adding additional users) at any time
prior to submitting the survey.

Survey Data Entry
You can begin data entry immediately after completing registration. There is no specific order required for
completing the survey. However, we recommend moving from Part A through Part N in sequence, as
edits in later sections are affected by entries in earlier sections.
Several screens (e.g., Part A. State Library Agency Identification) are pre-filled with data previously
submitted for your agency. Please update any information that has changed.
Saving/viewing your data—Data are saved on a screen-by-screen basis. Always click the Verify & Save
button at the top or bottom of the screen before proceeding to another screen. Verify & Save will save
your data and keep you on the current screen. The Proceed button will advance you to the next screen—
you will be prompted to save your data first if you have made changes to the screen. It is recommended
that you save your data frequently.
When a screen is saved, edit icons will identify data cells that have missing or questionable data. Click on
an icon to review the edit message and the required action.
Navigating the survey—Use the Tab and Shift+Tab keys to move back and forth between the data entry
boxes. The Delete and Backspace keys are active inside each data entry box.
You can also move around the data entry screen by positioning the mouse pointer directly on the data
entry box, radio button, check box, or pull-down list, and clicking on the left mouse button. A pop-up menu
with the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands will appear in text boxes when the right mouse button is
pressed.
Edit Report
The Edit Report option is found on the survey page. The Edit Report may be viewed on-screen or
printed and is an easy-to-read table with six columns, as described below:
• Edit No. (edit message number)
• Line Number (survey item)
• Screen Name (survey part)
• Edit Message
• Severity (edit message type—Fatal or Explanation), and
• Accepted (edit message resolution status—Yes or No)
All edit messages must be resolved, by revising or confirming the data, in order to submit the survey data.
To make corrections to the data, click on the survey part (for example, Part J. Revenue) in the "Screen
Name" column. To confirm the data, with or without an explanation, click on Explanation in the
"Severity" column. Your explanations are recorded in the Edit Report as “Reasons”. The “Accepted”
column indicates whether the edit message is resolved (“Yes” or “No”). Once all edit messages are
resolved, the “Accepted” column of the Edit Report will display “Yes” for each message, and the Submit
Data button will appear at the top of the survey page. (Subsequent data corrections may generate new
edit messages that you will need to resolve before submitting the survey data.)
Two additional options are included on the Edit Report page. The Edit Detail Report displays the data
related to each edit message. This report is provided as a reference tool when reviewing and resolving
edit messages. The Edit Reason Report lists all edit messages for which the user has provided
explanations or “Reasons”.
Edit messages are generated for individual survey pages via the Verify & Save process. The edit icons
serve as links to the edit messages. Clicking on an icon opens an “Edit Description” dialog box containing
the edit message and the action required to resolve the message. There are two types of edit messages,
each with a unique icon:
•

Fatal (denoted with a red icon). The data must be revised (either missing data must be provided,
or correct data must be reported). To revise the data, click Close to close the edit message box,
and enter or edit the data.
2

•

Explanation (denoted with a yellow icon). The data are questionable. The user should review the
data for accuracy and enter correct data if appropriate. If the questionable data are correct, the
user can resolve the edit message in one of two ways: (1) click Confirm to verify the data without
giving an explanation, or (2) enter an explanation in the memo field provided and click Save
reason. Providing an explanation may eliminate the need for future edit follow-up about the data.
You will be prompted to click the Refresh Screen & Close button to close the window.

The Key Holder cannot submit the survey until all data generating "Fatal error" icons have been revised
(either missing data must be provided, or correct data must be reported) and all data generating "Confirm"
or "Explain" icons have been confirmed or explained.
Submitting the Survey Data
When the survey has been completed and all edit messages have been resolved, the Edit Report
"Accepted" column will display "Yes" and you will receive the following message: "You are ready to
submit data." To submit the data, you must run the Edit Report. You must then return to the survey
page by selecting Survey on the top menu bar (do not use the browser Back button) and then select
the Submit Data option at the top of the page. If you are on the last screen, all edit messages are
resolved, and you select the Save option, you will still need to select the Edit Report option, then select
Survey on the top menu bar, and finally select the Submit Data option.
The Key Holder must select Submit Data to officially complete the survey data submission process.
Census is notified at this time that the survey is ready for their review. An e-mail is sent to the user
confirming that the survey data have been submitted.
The State Librarian certification form should be submitted after the data are submitted (see "Overview"
section above).
After the user selects Submit Data, the data will still be viewable and printable. However, additional
changes to the data will not be possible unless the Key Holder submits a request to the StLA Help Desk.
This action should not be a substitute for entering the correct data initially. If you discover an error in your
data, contact the StLA Help Desk at [email protected] or 1-800-451-6235. They will assist you in
correcting any errors and resubmitting the data.
Printing
A blank version of the survey data entry form may be viewed and printed using the Survey Form (Blank)
option found on the Reports menu. A File Download dialog box will open, from which you are able to
Open or Save the .pdf document. Once you open the document, you can print it if you wish. Use the
browser's Back button to return to the previously viewed page.
Users can view and print the form after data have been entered via the Survey Form (Data) option found
on the Reports menu. The other steps are the same as for blank forms. To print directly from the data
entry screens, use the browser Print button or the Print option (under the File menu). A print option is
also available from the menu that appears when the right mouse button is pressed.
Users can print the survey Instructions, Edit Messages and Conditions, and other information found
on the Help menu using the browser and mouse print options described above.
Log Off
Users may leave a session at any time using the Log Off button found on the banner. Be sure to save all
data before logging off by pressing the Verify & Save button. Future logins allow users to continue where
they left off.

3