The Lilead Survey

The Lilead Project began through grant funding from IMLS to conduct the first baseline study completed with school district library supervisors in more than thirty years. From their responses, we learned about their roles and responsibilities, the challenges they face, and their professional needs.

Research Questions

• What are the supervisors’ titles and job descriptions?
• What are their demographics, knowledge, and skills?
• What are their roles and responsibilities?
• What are their greatest challenges and needs?

Original Data Collection

The 2012 Lilead Project survey population included 290 supervisors in the largest districts, as defined by student populations of more than 25,000, and the largest district in each state not meeting the population criteria. In all, 166 people took the survey over the course of six weeks – a 61 percent response rate. The 58-question electronic survey was deployed in October and November of 2012.

Longitudinal Study

With continued funding from IMLS, the Lilead Project conducted the survey again in Fall 2014. Slight adjustments were to the questionnaire based on results from the 2012 survey. However, the majority of questions remained the same and allowed for longitudinal data to be collected about these school districts and their supervisors.

Findings

Learn more about the findings from the survey:

• Titles
• Demographics and Experience
• Responsibilities
• Challenges