2014 Conference Evaluation Report

NASIG Newsletter, Aug 2014

Published on 09/01/14

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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. - 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)


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2014 Conference Evaluation Report, NASIG Newsletter, 2014, Volume 29, Issue 3,