FY2016 PLS Emails

Public Libraries Survey Data Collection
Draft Emails
Contents
State Data Coordinator Log in Email Text ................................................................................................................2
Chief Officer Log in and Certification Instruction Email Text ..................................................................................3
Chief Officer Web Instructions.............................................................................................................................. 5
Lock Data Email Text ................................................................................................................................................7
Data Certified Confirmation Email Text ...................................................................................................................8
Data Collection Reminder Email Text .......................................................................................................................9
Data Collection Reminder 1 (Group 1) ..................................................................................................................9
Data Collection Reminder 2 (Group 1) ..................................................................................................................9
Final Data Collection Reminder (Group 1) ......................................................................................................... 10
Data Collection Reminder 1 (Group 2) ................................................................................................................ 11
Data Collection Reminder 2 (Group 2) ................................................................................................................ 11
Final Data Collection Reminder (Group 2) ......................................................................................................... 12
Data Collection Reminder 1 (Group 3) ................................................................................................................ 13
Data Collection Reminder 2 (Group 3) ................................................................................................................ 13
Final Data Collection Reminder (Group 3) ......................................................................................................... 14
Post-Lock Edit Report Email Text........................................................................................................................... 15
Post-Lock Edit Report Follow-up Email Text ......................................................................................................... 16
Post-Lock Edit Report Final Follow-up ................................................................................................................... 17
Final Internal Review Data Editing Email ............................................................................................................... 18

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State Data Coordinator Log in Email Text
Email Subject: FY 2016 Public Libraries Survey Log in Information and Important Survey Dates

TO: State Data Coordinators
Dear State Data Coordinator,
The FY 2016 Public Libraries Survey (PLS) Web Portal is now open for your data entry. Please
see the information below, specific to your state, to access the survey.
Sincerely,
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research
[State]

PLS User ID

[AIR to enter email address]

PLS Password

[New participants: AIR will enter personalized password
URL]

Note the first time you login in to the
PLS Web Portal you are required to [Prior year participants:] Please use the password you
create your password.
used for the FY 2015 data collection. If you forgot your
password please click “Forgot Password” on the login
screen and follow the on screen instructions.
FY 2016 PLS Web Portal Opens

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

FY 2016 Data Collection Begins

Monday, January 2, 2017

Data Collection Ends

Group 1: April 7, 2017
Group 2: July 28, 2017
Group 3: August 18, 2017

PLS Survey Website

http://www.plswebportal.org/

PLS Help Desk

[email protected] or 1-866-744-5746
9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET (Mon-Fri)

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Chief Officer Log in and Certification Instruction Email Text

Email Subject: FY 2016 Public Libraries Survey Log in Information and Important Survey Dates
TO: Chief Officers

Dear Chief Officer,
The 2016 Public Libraries Survey (PLS) Web Portal is now open for your access to the PLS data.
Please see the information below, specific to your state, in order to access the survey.
Within the PLS Web Portal you will be able to do the following:





View the status of the PLS for your state.
View all of your state’s data before and after the data is locked, certified, and finalized.
View the burden hours entered by your state’s SDC.
Certify the data after the data have been locked.

At the bottom of this email are instructions on how to navigate the PLS Web Portal.
Sincerely,
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research
[State]

PLS User ID

[AIR to enter email address]

PLS Password

[New participants: AIR will enter personalized password
URL]

Note the first time you login in to the
PLS Web Portal you are required to [Prior year participants:] Please use the password you
create your password.
used for the FY 2015 data collection. If you forgot your
password please click “Forgot Password” on the login
screen and follow the on screen instructions.
FY 2016 PLS Web Portal Opens

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

FY 2016 Data Collection Begins

Monday, January 2, 2017

Data Collection Ends

Group 1: April 7, 2017
Group 2: July 28, 2017
Group 3: August 18, 2017]

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[State]

PLS Survey Website

http://www.plswebportal.org/

PLS Help Desk

[email protected] or 1-866-744-5746
9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET (Mon-Fri)

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Chief Officer Web Instructions
View Data
As the Chief Officer you are able to view your state’s Public Libraries Survey (PLS) before the
SDC locks their data. Below are brief instructions on how to navigate the PLS Web Portal. For
more details about the PLS Web Portal please see the User’s Guide under the Helpful Documents
on the Home screen.
To view the status of the survey:


Select Survey Status in the dark green navigation panel
o Here you will be able to see where the SDC’s progress in completing the survey

To view State Characteristics, Administrative Entity (AE), and Outlet Data:



Select Tools in the dark green navigation panel
Select from the drop down the data you would like to view (State Char; AE; Outlet)

To export data:



Select Tools in the dark green navigation panel
Select Export Data from the drop down
o Select the file format and data set you would like to export then select Generate
File Export or;
o Select Export All Datasets – 1 Excel File to have all the current year and prior
year data in one file

To download the SDC’s last run Match Report:




Select View Match Report from the Reports dropdown menu
Select Download Match Report
View and save the Match Report for your records

To download the SDC’s last run Edit Report:





Select View Edit Report from the Reports dropdown menu
Select Download Edit Report
o Note if you get an error saying “A successful Match Report is required for the
current year data,” it means the SDC has not yet run a successful Match Report
yet, therefore has not yet run their Edit Report.
View and save the Edit Report for your records

To download the Tables Report:



Select View Edit Tables from the Reports dropdown menu
Select Download Tables Report

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

View and save the Tables Report for your records

Certify Data
You can follows these steps to certify your state’s data:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Login into the PLS Web Portal
Navigate to the top right of the screen and click “Certify Data”
Review the PLS Certification Form
Click the “Certify” button
Sign the PLS Certification Form by entering your PLS Web Portal password
Click the “Confirm Certification” button
Once you have signed the form you and your state’s SDC will receive an email
indicating that the data have been certified and it will include the text from the
completed PLS Certification Form.

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Lock Data Email Text
Email Subject: FY 2016 PLS Web Portal Data Locked and Ready for Certification
To: Chief Officer
CC: State Data Coordinator
Hello,
Your state’s Public Libraries Survey (PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016 has been locked. You can now
login into the PLS Web Portal and certify the PLS data.
To certify your state’s data, please follow these steps:
1. Login into the PLS Web Portal (follow the login instructions from the email sent on
12/13/2016).
2. Navigate to button that says “Certify Data”
3. Review the PLS Certification Form
4. Click Certify button
5. Sign the PLS Certification Form by entering your password
6. Click the “Confirm Certification” button
7. Once you have signed the form you and your state’s SDC will receive an email indicating
that the data have been certified and it will include the text from the completed PLS
Certification Form.
If you have any questions or encounter any problems please contact the PLS Help Desk.
Email: [email protected]
Call: 1-866-744-5746
9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET (Mon - Fri)
Thank you,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at AIR

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Data Certified Confirmation Email Text
Email Subject: FY 2016 PLS Data Certified Confirmation
To: State Data Coordinator
CC: Chief Officer
Hello,
This is a confirmation that the Chief Officer has certified your state’s Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) Fiscal Year 2016 data. Below is the completed PLS Certification Form.
If you have any questions or encounter any problems please contact the PLS Help Desk.
Email: [email protected]
Call: 1-866-744-5746
9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET (Mon - Fri)
Thank you,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at AIR

Chief Officer Certification of Public Library Data
Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2016
I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the data submitted by the State Data
Coordinator for the Public Libraries Survey, Fiscal Year 2016 are accurate.

The data was certified on X/X/20XX X:XX AM/PM ET by .
Estimated number of hours State Data Coordinator took to complete the survey:

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Data Collection Reminder Email Text
Data Collection Reminder 1 (Group 1)
Email Subject: PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 1)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The Keppel Award is based in part on the date you submit your data. To receive the maximum
number of submission points, you must submit your data by March 10, 2017. This means your
data must be matched, edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is April 7, 2017.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Data Collection Reminder 2 (Group 1)
Email Subject: Reminder - PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 1)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The Keppel Award is based in part on the date you submit your data. To receive the maximum
number of submission points, you must submit your data by March 10, 2017. Partial points can
be received for data submitted by March 24, 2017. This means your data must be matched,
edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is April 7, 2017.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/

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If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Final Data Collection Reminder (Group 1)
Email Subject: Final Reminder - PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 1)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a final reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is April 7, 2017. This means your data must be
matched, edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

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Data Collection Reminder 1 (Group 2)
Email Subject: PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 2)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The Keppel Award is based in part on the date you submit your data. To receive the maximum
number of submission points, you must submit your data by June 30, 2017. This means your data
must be matched, edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is July 28, 2017.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Data Collection Reminder 2 (Group 2)
Email Subject: Reminder - PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 2)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The Keppel Award is based in part on the date you submit your data. To receive the maximum
number of submission points, you must submit your data by June 30, 2017. Partial points can be
received for data submitted by July 14, 2017. This means your data must be matched,
edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is July 28, 2017.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/

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If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Final Data Collection Reminder (Group 2)
Email Subject: Final Reminder - PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 2)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a final reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2017.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is July 28, 2017. This means your data must be
matched, edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

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Data Collection Reminder 1 (Group 3)
Email Subject: PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 3)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The Keppel Award is based in part on the date you submit your data. To receive the maximum
number of submission points, you must submit your data by August 4, 2017. This means your
data must be matched, edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is August 18, 2017.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Data Collection Reminder 2 (Group 3)
Email Subject: Reminder - PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 3)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The Keppel Award is based in part on the date you submit your data. To receive the maximum
number of submission points, you must submit your data by August 4, 2017. Partial points can
be received for data submitted by August 11, 2017. This means your data must be matched,
edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is August 18, 2017.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/

13

If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Final Data Collection Reminder (Group 3)
Email Subject: Final Reminder - PLS FY 2016 Upcoming Deadlines (Group 3)
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
This is a final reminder regarding the significant collection dates for the Public Libraries Survey
(PLS) for Fiscal Year 2016.
The firm, final deadline for state submissions is August 18, 2017. This means your data must be
matched, edited/annotated, and locked by this date.
You can log onto the PLS Web Portal at: https://www.plswebportal.org/
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

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Post-Lock Edit Report Email Text
Email Subject: PLS FY 2016 – Post-Lock Edit Report
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
We have completed our review of your state’s locked and certified data for the Public Libraries
Survey (PLS), Fiscal Year 2016. Attached is an Excel file containing a copy of your state’s PostLock Edit Report; we organized it similarly to the Edit Reports produced in the Web Portal. Please
find instructions for this final phase of the data review process attached as well.




Please note all changes in the annotations field in the Post-Lock Edit Report (Excel file).
Send the Excel file with your changes to AIR at [email protected].
You will not be able to make changes to your data in the PLS Web Portal.

To receive the maximum number of Keppel Award submission points, please submit your
annotated Post-Lock Edit Report within two weeks (10 business days).
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

15

Post-Lock Edit Report Follow-up Email Text
Email Subject: PLS FY 2016 – Post-Lock Edit Report Follow-up
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator,
We have completed our review of your state’s annotated Web Portal Edit Report and Post-Lock
Edit Report for the Public Libraries Survey (PLS), Fiscal Year 2016. Attached is your Web Portal
Edit Report and/or your Post-Lock Edit Report with questions we have about specific annotations
and edits.
The bullets below outline the next steps for reviewing and responding to the questions and
comments included in the attached file:





Review the summary tab; sections that contain follow-up questions for you are
highlighted in Red
Click on the corresponding tabs, also highlighted in red, to find the specific questions for
each section
Review questions with red text in the column, ‘AIR Response 1’
Respond to questions in the column, ‘SDC Response 1’

If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

16

Post-Lock Edit Report Final Follow-up
Email Subject: Final Reminder - PLS FY 2016 – Post-Lock Edit Report Follow-up
To: State Data Coordinator
Dear State Data Coordinator:
Thank you for participating in the data collection for the Public Libraries Survey (PLS), Fiscal
Year 2016, conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The American
Institutes for Research (AIR) continues to process the state data submissions.
We will be closing out the edit follow-up process for Fiscal Year 2016 on October 30, 2017. So
that we can make any necessary changes to the file, please return your state’s Post-Lock Edit
Report spreadsheet prior to that date. If you are waiting for a response from a library, please note
that on the spreadsheet, and return it to us.
Note: Any highly questionable data that are not revised or verified as correct by you may be
removed and imputed. We will notify you of any affected data.
If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Thank you again for your hard work. Please reply to this email to confirm receipt.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

17

Final Internal Review Data Editing Email
Email Subject: PLS FY 2015 – Data Processed and Available in PLS Web Portal
To: State Data Coordinator
CC: Chief Officer
Dear State Data Coordinator,
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting the Public Libraries Survey (PLS). Your state’s PLS
data for Fiscal Year 2016 have been finalized. The finalized data can now be accessed and
downloaded in the PLS Web Portal by clicking on Tools, Export Data, and selecting the files you
wish to download.
When distributing and analyzing these data, please be mindful of the following points:



Data changes reflect information you provided in the annotations or otherwise provided
to AIR
Not all states will have data changes

If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the PLS Help Desk at
[email protected] or call 1-866-744-5746.
Sincerely,
Celeste, Danielle, Patrick, and Kathryn
The PLS Team at the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

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