Meetings Coordinating Committee: 2001 Membership Survey

To gain insight into the attitudes of MARAC members toward conferences, and to gauge reactions to various factors affecting attendance, the Meetings Coordinating Committee (MCC) conducted a brief survey last year [2001], which you received with your membership renewal form. These survey forms were returned to Kimball and Associates, where they were detached and sent to me for anonymous tabulation. I am pleased to report that the response rate to this survey was a phenomenal 95%. A total of 730 members who renewed by last October answered at least part of the survey. We are grateful for this data and it has been studied by MCC as we try to determine "what works and what doesn't," to ensure that conferences meet the needs and expectations of MARAC members.

The survey was purposely constructed to require minimal time to respond, and was attached to the renewal form itself to ensure a higher response rate. Previous surveys have been conducted that were more probing in their questions, but the response rate to longer surveys has been low. Therefore, the basic premise for this survey was that it should require only checking boxes, and must be part of the same form that members return with their dues payment. Several members took the time to add comments to the survey, and these comments have been tabulated and considered by the committee.

Here are the aggregate results of the survey, in bold type following each possible response:

Question 1: In the past five years, how many MARAC meetings have you attended?

Responses:

0 - 2 = 63%
3 - 6 = 27%
7 - 10 = 9%

(Rounding differences make this total less than 100%)

Question 2: How many years have you been in the archives profession?

Responses:

0 - 5 = 25%
5 - 10 = 17%
10 - 20 = 31%
20+ = 27%

Question 3: In deciding whether to attend MARAC meetings, please indicate the importance of the following factors in your decision: 1=Not Important; 5=Very Important

Responses:

A. Hotel room/registration fees = 3.2
B. Relevance of program = 4.4
C. Conference location (city) = 3.9
D. Transportation options to location = 3.3
E. Other

Question 4: Please react to the following statement: "MARAC should have only one meeting per year, rather than two." (1=Strongly Agree; 3=Neutral; 5=Strongly Disagree)

Response: 2.6

Percentage of responses indicating 1 or 2 = 40%
Percentage of responses indicating 3 = 40%
Percentage of responses indicating 4 or 5 = 20%

Analysis of survey questions and responses

In the past five years (through spring 2001), MARAC held ten conferences, nine within our region and one joint meeting with the Midwest Archives Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Of those responding to this question, 63% attended two or fewer conferences within the five-year period, while only 9% attended at least seven conferences. While not everyone responding has been a MARAC member for five years, it might be safe to assume that at least half of MARAC members have been members throughout the period but have attended two or fewer conferences.

The second question was included to gather information on how long MARAC members have been in the profession, which might help to explain the response to the first question. We realize that not everyone responding has been a MARAC member, or has worked in the MARAC region, for their entire career. Surprisingly, 58% of those responding have been in this profession for at least ten years. Are we a "graying" profession? Are younger archivists avoiding the MARAC region? Are fewer library school graduates entering the archives profession? Do younger archivists not consider MARAC relevant to their professional careers? There are no answers to these questions here, but the Membership Committee has begun pondering this matter.

In comparing individual (anonymous) responses to the first and second questions, we discovered that 225 respondents reported being in the profession at least ten years, but attending two or fewer meetings in the past five years. The same caveats offered above apply here, of course, but these responses are somewhat surprising. Interestingly, of those 225 respondents, 13% indicated (in question four) that MARAC should continue offering two conferences per year.

Question three yielded a surprise. Of the four factors offered, hotel room fees and MARAC registration fees were the least important - just slightly above "neutral" on the five-point scale. This would seem to indicate that the price of attending our conferences is considered reasonable. Steering Committee, MCC, and local arrangement committees strive to keep costs as low as possible; perhaps this indicates they have been successful. Program relevance, not surprisingly, was rated as the highest factor. Eighty-three respondents suggested other important factors influencing their attendance, such as scheduling of conferences and time available to attend (39 responses), and whether they receive support from their employer to attend (16 responses).

The final question was intended to gauge members' response to the idea of offering only one conference per year. MARAC has reached a size where it no longer "fits" in some of the smaller cities we used to visit due to the lack of suitable facilities. Being limited to larger cities not only reduces the number of location options, it means higher costs at the larger hotels where we do "fit." Some have suggested using university facilities, including dormitories, but most institutions are in session during our normal spring and fall meeting times, so dormitory facilities would not be available. Based on the response to this question, there is a slight preference for having only one conference per year. Some undoubtedly chose a neutral response because they have no opinion, but if we discount the neutral responses, those expressing a preference favor one conference per year - by a two-to-one margin. There are other factors to be considered by Steering Committee and MCC, of course, including a sufficient pool of people available to plan conferences (i.e., local arrangements and program committees).

Thank you,

Jim Stimpert
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Information last updated 8 March 2002.

Last modified: 13 November 2007

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