IMLS PNLMS Advance Letters

Advance Letter for PNLMS Survey

MM/DD/2013

Dear Resident:

I am writing to ask for your help. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is conducting a study in your area to understand the use of museum and library services in communities like yours. IMLS is an independent U.S. Federal Government agency. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, learning, and cultural and civic engagement.

The study is the Public Needs for Library and Museum Services survey. We are asking people across the country about how they use museum and library services, including how often people visit and what types of services people prefer. This survey is part of IMLS’s responsibility to identify national needs for museum and library services.

In a few days, your household may receive a telephone call to participate in this study. The caller will be a representative from M. Davis and Company, Inc., our survey research organization. The interviewer will ask one adult in your household to answer questions. The interview takes about 15-20 minutes. If the interviewer calls at a busy time, please let us know a better time to call back.

Your telephone number was selected at random by a computer, to be sure that every household in the nation has an equal chance to participate in this survey. Your answers to this survey are very important.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You do not need to answer each question, but your participation will help ensure the completeness and accuracy of this survey. You can confirm that this survey is a Federally-approved collection by asking the interviewer for the OMB control number.

We intend to protect your privacy as a participant in this study. Any information you provide on this survey will remain confidential to the extent permitted by law. Whenever results of this study are reported, your answers will be combined with answers from other persons in the study so that your responses cannot be identified.

We realize that your time is valuable. Although you are not required to participate in this study, your cooperation is important in providing information about the use of our nation’s libraries and museums.

If you have any questions, please call our survey information line at 1-800-XXX-XXXX. Interviewers are available Monday through Friday 9:00am to 11:00pm EST, Saturday and Sundays 11:00am to 11:00pm EST. You may also visit the IMLS website – www.imls.gov – for more information about IMLS or this study.

Sincerely,

Carlos Manjarrez

Director of Planning, Research and Evaluation

Advance Letter for PNLMS Non-Response Follow-Up Survey

MM/DD/2013

Dear Resident:

I am writing to ask for your help. As you may know, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is conducting a study in your area to understand the use of museum and library services in communities like yours. IMLS is an independent U.S. Federal Government agency. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, learning, and cultural and civic engagement.

Your household was randomly selected to take part in our original study which was conducted earlier this year between ___ and ___, 2013. However, the company that is conducting this study for us, M. Davis and Company, Inc., was unable to complete an interview with your household during this time period.

We respect that your time is limited. As such, we are asking that you please complete a considerably shortened version of our questionnaire when you are contacted by telephone by the M. Davis and Company in the next week or two. The interviewer who calls your home will ask one adult in your household to answer questions. The interview takes about 5-8 minutes.

After you or another adult in your household complete the questionnaire, we will send you $10 to thank you for your cooperation. We are offering this token of our appreciation because we have found that doing so will increase the accuracy of our research and may lower the total cost of the study by reducing the time and effort needed to complete it.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You do not need to answer each question, but your participation will help ensure the completeness and accuracy of this survey. You can confirm that this survey is a Federally-approved collection by asking the interviewer for the OMB control number.

We intend to protect your privacy as a participant in this study. Any information you provide on this survey will remain confidential to the extent permitted by law. Whenever results of this study are reported, your answers will be combined with answers from other persons in the study so that your responses cannot be identified.

If you have any questions, please call our survey information line at 1-800-XXX-XXXX. Interviewers are available Monday through Friday 9:00am to 11:00pm EST, Saturday and Sundays 11:00am to 11:00pm EST. You may also visit the IMLS website – www.imls.gov – for more information about IMLS or this study.

Please let the other members of your household know about this important research study in case they answer the telephone when the interviewer calls.

Sincerely,

Carlos Manjarrez

Director of Planning, Research and Evaluation