You are invited to participate in this survey about accessibility as a factor in acquisition/selection practice in academic libraries in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. In this survey, “accessibility” is used in the context of providing library resources to patrons with disabilities, which they are able to read/view/listen to. The purpose of this research is to explore if and how selectors use accessibility when making acquisition decisions. This study is open to individuals who have selection responsibilities as part of their work in an academic library in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, or Ontario. This research is being conducted by Agnieszka Hayes (agnieszka.hayes@acadiau.ca), Academic Librarian at Acadia University. This study has been approved by the Acadia University Research Ethics Board (REB). Participation in the study will take approximately 10-15 minutes, and will consist of selecting responses from multiple choice options and, if applicable, writing short answers.
There are no reasonably foreseeable risks to participants or in general that may arise from participation in this study. By consenting, you have not waived any rights to legal recourse in the event of research-related harm. The potential benefits to study participants are an increase of awareness of accessibility in selection procedures, and practices they could employ in their selection work. The potential benefits in general are an increase of knowledge about selectors’ consideration of accessibility in their work, and perhaps identifying means of supporting selectors in their acquisitions work.
Your identity will remain anonymous, as there are no questions that can potentially identify participants. In the short-answer portion of the questions, please do not name yourself or the library at which you work, so as to preserve your anonymity. You are under no obligation to participate in this study. You are free to withdraw at any time while filling out the survey without prejudice to pre-existing entitlements. Once you submit your responses, it will be impossible to remove your answers from the collected survey data, since there will be no means of identifying your answers specifically, as you will have submitted them anonymously.
Information about the type and location of the library at which participants work, and whether or not they have selection responsibilities as part of their job, will be collected to determine eligibility for the study. Other questions will assess if and how participants use accessibility in their selection practice. The data collected by the survey will be accessible to the researcher (Agnieszka Hayes) and her research assistants (if any), as well as to employees at Acadia who support and administer the survey software and its underlying systems and require such access to fulfill those stated duties. Data will be collected using LimeSurvey and stored on the password-protected LimeSurvey platform and on a password-protected computer. Any data sent electronically or stored online may be legally accessed by domestic or foreign authorities. Your employer may have legal access to any information sent using employer-owned equipment. You may therefore wish to consider using non-employer-owned equipment when communicating with the researchers and completing the survey. It is anticipated that the data will be used to determine if and how selectors use accessibility when they make acquisition decisions.
The findings from the study will not be commercialized. There is no conflict of interest on the part of the researcher (Agnieszka Hayes) or the institution (Acadia University). Research results will be disseminated through presentations at conferences and articles in journals. Participants will not be directly identified. Quotations from participants who choose to answer in paragraph format may be used to illustrate points, but they will be anonymous.
Should you have questions about the scholarly aspects of the research, please contact Agnieszka Hayes at agnieszka.hayes@acadiau.ca. Should you have questions about possible ethical issues in the research, please contact Dr. Stephen Maitzen, Chair of the Acadia University Research Ethics Board, at smaitzen@acadiau.ca or 902-585-1407. It is recommended that you keep a copy of this consent form for your records.
By participating in this survey, you are indicating that you understand the above, and that you consent to participate.