Message sent to Cohort 2 EAST retention partner Voting Members September, 2017

Dear EAST Voting and Operational Contacts,

The EAST Validation Sample Study (VSS) has a lot of moving parts but to set expectations and open the lines of communication here are the top 6 things the EAST team would like you to know at this point about the VSS:

• 1. The results of this study will help EAST estimate the potential availability of materials that may be lent through EAST.   The Validation Sample Study is designed to account for and assess the basic condition of a random sample of 6,000 monographs in participating libraries’ collections, a sample size determined in consultation with our statistical consultant.  This accounting will be done primarily by libraries’ student workers or staff physically locating books on the shelf then confirming each of these books’ presence and general condition using a web-based tool developed by the EAST team in consultation with the Validation Working Group.  A description of this web-based tool is attached.

  2. The data collection phase of this project is October 18 - December 15 2017, preceded by training opportunities, including webinars, videos and documentation for local Validation Sample Study Coordinators as well as those collecting the data.  In addition, each library will be provided with a methodology for determining checked out items appropriate to its local ILS environment.  

  3. The data collected will be expressed as an “availability metric” for each participating  library.  This metric is calculated based on the number of items validated as present on the shelf or accounted from as in circulation by the ILS.

  4. Each participating library can only see its own availability metric (visible through the web-based data collection tool).  Anonymized metrics for all libraries will be reviewed by the Validation Working Group and Collection Analysis Working Group as we move forward with other EAST tasks.  

  5. To offset the cost of conducting this study, EAST will be distributing funds from the Mellon Foundation grant directly to participating libraries when all data collection is completed.  Each library will be given a lump sum payment of $4,000.  Details of the invoicing process are attached.

  6. The operational details of the Validation Sample Study are left to local management at participating libraries led by Validation Sample Study Coordinators.  

For questions about the study, contact Mei Mendez (mmendez@blc.org) and Sara Amato (samato@blc.org).  Please direct inquiries about billing to Susan Stearns (sstearns@blc.org).   

Thank you very much for your participation and engagement with EAST.

Best,

Mei