Please distribute widely, thanks!
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Greetings! My name is Bharat Mehra and I am assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee. As a follow-up on our ITRL second phase needs assessment activities, I am sending you this email message to ask for your help regarding a study about the information needs of individuals living in rural Appalachian communities. This research is part of a recently-funded grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services entitled "Rural Library Professionals as Change Agents in the 21st Century: Integrating Information Technology Competencies in the Southern and Central Appalachian Region (ITRL)." We are looking for study participants who are working in a library of any type in the rural Appalachia [very broadly defined] or are affiliated with rural libraries in the region. We are interested in learning about the information needs, technology needs and general concerns of the people that you serve in your community. We also want to know your thoughts on how we can improve professional library education to become more effective at providing library services to rural Appalachian communities. We want to help our libraries serve our communities better.
We want to conduct focus groups with information professionals in your network and/or agency. We can orchestrate the focus groups via phone/online [via our synchronous distance education free software] whatever works well from your end. If we have more than 5-8 people interested then we can schedule multiple sessions simultaneously. The focus groups should take a maximum of an hour of your time and one option is to conduct a focus group over the telephone if all people will be in one place (I will be happy to call during that time). Participants will receive a $20 gift certificate as a gesture of our deep appreciation for their participation.
If your agency manages and uses an internal electronic mailing list or other resources to network with library professionals in your system, will you be willing to circulate the following ITRL needs assessment consent form copied below? Additionally, if you are aware of potential applicants who may be interested in the ITRL focus groups please let them know that they can contact me for scheduling a time. If you have comments or questions to share I will be happy to address them as well.
There are two options for potential participants to get involved: 1) If more than one person from one agency are willing to get together at a common venue with teleconferencing equipment then I will be happy to call. 2) If an individual is interested to participate online then let me know the best time and I will schedule on online session with several participants based on a commonly agreeable time. For the online session the only equipment a participant needs is a computer with Internet, microphone, and speakers to communicate in real time.
For more information see the ITRL website: http://www.sis.utk.edu/rural-librarianship <https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.sis.utk.edu/rural-librarianship> (cut and paste the URL in your web browser).
I look forward to hearing from you. Much thanks for your consideration and help!
My best regards, Bharat Mehra
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Consent Form for Focus Group Participation in Research on Information Technology Rural Librarian Master's Scholarship Program: Perspectives of Information Professionals
INFORMED CONSENT FORM
Good day. We are Dr. Bharat Mehra, Dr. Kimberly Black, and Dr. Vandana Singh and we are assistant professors in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK). We are writing this letter to you to seek your consent for participation in a phone focus group about the current information technology needs and challenges in your library. Your responses will be used in two ways: 1.) to inform the development of the curriculum for a special program funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to educate library professionals to serve rural Appalachian communities, and 2.) to provide basic research in the area of rural Appalachian community information needs.
You will participate in a focus group to get your feedback about these issues. Each focus group will consist of five to eight individuals who live and work in a similar environment. This focus group will be audio recorded and the principal investigators will take notes. The focus group will last approximately one hour. Only the principal investigators and one graduate assistant specifically assigned to this project will review and transcribe the audio recordings and perform the analysis of the data. The notes, transcripts, and audio files will be stored in a password-protected computer and/or locked cupboards in the University of Tennessee's School of Information Sciences until the project is completed in September 2012 and they will be destroyed afterwards. This consent form will be stored in a secure location, apart from the data, and destroyed after the period.
You will receive a $20 gift certificate as a gesture of our deep appreciation for your participation in the focus group. The focus group employed in this study presents no foreseeable danger to you. In reporting the findings of this study, you will not be mentioned by name. No reference to your identity will be made in oral or written reports. We hope that the results of this study will lead to improvements for community library information services in rural Appalachia and help us in providing improved Information technology and management classes for our students.
There are no anticipated risks to participants in this study. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential. Your participation in this study is voluntary; you may decline to participate without penalty. If you decide to participate, you may withdraw from the study at anytime without penalty and without loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you withdraw from the study before data collection is completed your data will be returned to you or destroyed. Return of the completed survey form constitutes your consent to participate.
I look forward to having you participate in this research project. If you have further questions, you may contact Bharat Mehra at the School of Information Sciences, Suite 454, 1345 Circle Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996 (865) 974-5917. If you have questions about your rights as a participant, contact Research Compliance Services (Dr. Brenda Lawson, [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> <mailto:[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > ) of the Office of Research at (865) 974-3466.
Sincerely yours,
Bharat Mehra, Ph.D. Principal Investigator, Rural Library Professionals as Change Agents in the 21st Century: Integrating Information Technology Competencies in the South & Central Appalachian Region (ITRL)
Kimberly Black, Ph.D. Co-Principal Investigator, Rural Library Professionals as Change Agents in the 21st Century: Integrating Information Technology Competencies in the South & Central Appalachian Region (ITRL)
Vandana Singh, Ph.D. Co-Principal Investigator, Rural Library Professionals as Change Agents in the 21st Century: Integrating Information Technology Competencies in the South & Central Appalachian Region (ITRL)
VOLUNTARY CONSENT: I certify that I have read the proceeding and that I understand its contents. I also affirm that I am 18 years or older. The PI has answered any questions I have pertaining to this research. A copy of this consent form will be given to me. My signature below means that I have freely agreed to participate in this research study.
__________________________________ __________
Participant Date
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Bharat Mehra, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Information Sciences
University of Tennessee
# 454 Communications Building,
1345 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-0341
Telephone: (865) 974 5917 (O)
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Homepage: https://www.sis.utk.edu/user/118 <https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://www.sis.utk.edu/user/118> ;
https://web.utk.edu/~bmehra/ <https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://tmail.utk.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://web.utk.edu/~bmehra/> (cut and paste the URL in your web browser).
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