2014 Conference Evaluation Report
Overall Conference Rating
0 2014 Evaluation and Assessment Committee: Jennifer Leffler (chair) , Bridget Euliano (vice-chair), Sally Glasser, Derek Marshall, Jane Smith, and Kathryn Wesley
The 29th annual NASIG (North American Serials Interest Group) conference was held in Fort Worth, Texas. The conference offered three pre-conferences, three vision sessions, thirty-six program sessions, four “Great Ideas Showcase” sessions, four snapshot sessions, and vendor lightning talks. Other events included an opening reception, first-timers reception, informal discussion groups, and a vendor expo.
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Below is a summary of the survey results.
2014
2013
2012
4.31
Respondents were asked to give ratings on a Likert scale
of one to five, with five being the highest. The overall
rating of the 2014 conference was 4.42. This is higher
than both 2013 (4.31) and 2012 (4.39).
Facilities and Local Arrangements
Social events
Breaks
Meals
Hotel rooms
Meeting rooms
Geographic location
All ratings for the 2014 conference were higher than
2013, except social events. The geographic location
question saw the highest jump. The 2014 rating was
4.42, while Buffalo saw a rating of 3.72 and Nashville a
rating of 3.89.
Fifty-one comments were entered on the survey about
local arrangements and facilities, some of which
touched on multiple issues. Issues with HVAC and
wireless access were noted. Many compliments were
received on the hotel and Ft. Worth in general. Some
expressed displeasure with the shuttle services. The
abundance of food available at breaks was commented
on by several, some in a positive light, while others
would have liked to see less food.
Comments about the meeting rooms were generally
positive, mostly focusing on the tables being available
for those who wished to type during sessions. Multiple
commenters did ask that speakers remember to use
microphones in the room to aid attendees’ ability to
hear adequately
A total of 71% of survey respondents brought a laptop
or a tablet to the conference. Many commented on
whether wireless access in the meeting rooms was a
necessity. Some thought that as long as it was available
in the rooms, paying for connectivity in the meeting
rooms was not necessary. Others, however, stated that
wireless access in the meeting rooms was such a
necessity, it should not even be a survey question.
Website, Blog and Schedule
The majority of survey respondents (123) thought the
program’s layout and explanation were easy to
understand. The Sched online program received both
praise and complaints in the comments. The conference
website received high marks at 4.17. The conference
blog was rated less highly at 3.68. Many of the
commenters did not know that a conference blog was
available.
Pre-Conferences
Three pre-conferences were offered at the 29th annual
conference. Ratings ranged from 3.82 to 4.78.
Comments were generally positive. A few participants
cited technical difficulties.
Vision Sessions
Three vision sessions were a part of the 2014
conference. All were highly rated, ranging from 4.16 to
4.48. One commenter went so far as to say, “The vision
sessions were my favorite part of the conference. They
were all excellent and timely.” Katherine Skinner’s high
energy was noted in several comments. The topical
interest of her talk was questioned by some, while
others noted that it was nice to receive new
information. Herbert Van de Sompel’s session was
thought-provoking to many. Comments on Jenica
Rogers’ session were mixed; several praised it, while
other were not as impressed.
Other Sessions
NASIG offered thirty-six concurrent sessions during the
29th annual conference. Twenty-eight of those (78%)
received an overall rating of 4.0 or higher. The number
of sessions offered was higher than in Buffalo. Most
comments were positive, or offered specific,
constructive criticism of an individual session. Feedback
was shared with presenters upon request.
2014 marked the second year of the “Great Ideas
Showcase,” formerly called poster sessions. While
seventeen participated in 2013, there were only four in
2014. Commenters noted that space and timing were
not ideal for this type of session. There were also
comments about posters, or the “Great Ideas
Showcase” being a good thing to continue for those
starting out in the profession. Comments indicated that
there was confusion over this session and the snapshot
session.
The 29th conference was the first to offer snapshot
sessions, “designed for 5-7 minute talks in which
projects, workflows, or ideas are presented.” There
were four participants, none of whom were rated 4.0 or
higher. Due to an oversight by the Evaluation &
Assessment Committee, there was no comment box for
the snapshot sessions.
Another new type of session for 2014 was the vendor
lightning talks. 81% of survey respondents would like to
see them continue; the overall rating was 3.89.
Comments were mostly positive. Suggestions were
offered through the comments to open the sessio (...truncated)