Chicago Library System: Digital Reference

Virtual Reference Services in Illinois Update for April/May

Fri, 25 Apr 2003 17:56:24 GMT

Virtual Reference Services in Illinois Update for April/May:

The MyWebLibrarian trials have been extended until April 30th. For password and other information, please contact:

Skip Burhans
My Web Librarian, Digital Reference Services Project Coordinator
sburhans@alliancelibrarysystem.com

New CE class: AbraCaDabra! You're a Virtual Reference Librarian

"Join librarians for a "magical" day of virtual reference on Friday, May 23, at Illinois Wesleyan University from 9:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. Cost for the workshop to cover costs for lunch is $20.00. To register, call Ann Schaller at Alliance Library System at 1-800-700-4857 or email her at aschaller@alliancelibrarysystem.com.

Speakers for the event include: Tom Peters, Director of the Center for Library Initiatives, Committee on Institutional Cooperation; Lisa Barnhart, Barnhart Consulting; Skip Burhans, MWL Project Coordinator; Mary-Carol Lindbloom, MWL Project Director; Anna Yackle, MWL Project Director; Frances Roehm, Illinois Clicks Project Director; Meg Frazier, Information Literacy/Electronic Services Librarian, Bradley University; Dawn Bussey, Director of Reference Services, Schaumburg Township District Library; Toni Tucker, Illinois State University; and Alex Todd, Head of Adult Services at Prospect Heights Public Library...

By program's end, participants will:

* Know various options for virtual reference service provision;

* Understand the benefits of collaboration in the virtual environment;

* Acquire reference/search strategies for the Internet (how to find information fast);

* Gain reference interview sills for the virtual environment;

* Understand the ten top fears of virtual reference and why they're not;

* Have information about participation opportunities in MyWebLibrarian and Illiniois Clicks;

* Have participated in program reinforcing hands-on activities.

ALS and North Suburban Library System have recently launched a multi-type library virtual reference service, MyWebLibrarian.com. Visit the website at http://www.myweblibrarian.com to participate in VR vendor trials and experience the software. If you would like to participate in the project, contact Mary-Carol Lindbloom at ALS (mclindbloom@alliancelibrarysystem.com); Anna Yackle at NSLS (ayackle@nsls.info); or Skip Burhans (sburhans@alliancelibrarysystem.com)

Funding for this workshop was provided in part by the Illinois State Library , a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using federal LSTA monies." -- from press release

Digital Reference Services Update

Thu, 27 Mar 2003 14:59:39 GMT

Digital Reference Services Update:

Bernie Sloan has updated his Digital Reference Services Bibliography.

The April 2003 issue of Computers in Libraries is dedicated to virtual reference issues.

The Ready for Reference Project Directors ask for Participation in the Virtual Reference Service Vendor Trials:

"You have probably heard about Ready for Reference, the Alliance Library System's virtual reference service, and/or Answers Unlimited, the North Suburban Library Systems project and how these two projects received an LSTA planning grant from the Illinois State Library.

My Web Librarian is the name of the combined service that came about because of the Illinois Libraries: Just a Click Away planning grant. The official roll out of the combined and expanded service is scheduled for April 7, 2003.

The project continues to welcome any Illinois library to join us and share in our success.

One of our goals for the grant is to compare virtual reference vendors, and we invite all Illinois libraries to participate in these free vendor trials. My Web Librarian will be a statewide service and it is important that we get input from you, your staff, colleagues and as many Illinois librarians as possible. The trials are free, fun, and easy to do. All we ask is that you complete the user survey and give us your opinion. Come on Illinois librarians and tell us what you think!

Complete instructions may be found by clicking the "Free Trials" link at the project's web site: <http://www.MyWebLibrarian.com>.

Once you are there, please explore each of the services offered by the five vendors: divine, Docutek, LSSI, QuestionPoint, and 24/7 Reference. Don't worry -- you won't be answering questions from the public! This is a chance to stick your toe in the virtual reference waters and splash around. Feel free to take as many "dips" as you like!

The trials will last through April 15, 2003."

For questions or to get logins and passwords, please contact the Project Coordinator (Skip Burhans, 309-353-4110 x2128, <mailto:sburhans@alliancelibrarysystem.com> or the Project Directors (Anna Yackle, North Suburban Library System, 847-459-1300 x7151, <mailto:ayackle@nsls.info> and Mary-Carol Lindbloom, Alliance Library System, 309-353-4110 x2401, <mailto:mclindbloom@alliancelibrarysystem.com> ).

Virtual Reference Desk Conference 2002

Thu, 21 Nov 2002 18:41:35 GMT

Virtual Reference Desk Conference 2002:

Did you miss the VRD Conference? Well, some of the presentations are now available on the VRD Conference website.

Virtual Reference Techniques to be taught in San Jose's SLIS Curriculum

Fri, 20 Sep 2002 15:16:13 GMT

Virtual Reference Techniques to be taught in San Jose's SLIS Curriculum:

The School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University has announced that they have partnered with "Library Systems and Services, LLC, the leading provider of virtual reference software and services for libraries, announced today a new partnership. SJSU/SLIS will use LSSI’s Virtual Reference ToolKit to revamp its reference curriculum and educate upcoming generations of reference librarians in how to ply their trade online.

The LSSI software will be deployed to San Jose’s Reference and Information Services-related courses, where students will use it to gain familiarity with the techniques of live online reference. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in practicums in LSSI’s Web Reference Center, the largest professional online reference service in the world, as well as in the QandACafe, a collaborative online reference service offered by libraries in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, faculty and students at SJSU will work with the librarians at LSSI on a number of joint research projects.

Dr. Feili Tu, project head at SJSU/SLIS, worked on this partnership with LSSI’s Steve Coffman, Vice President of Product Development. Dr. Tu said, "At San Jose, we believe that much of the future of reference lies on the Web. We see virtual reference as a core competency and we intend to make sure that the students who graduate from this program have the skills and knowledge to handle it as effectively as they can handle reference behind the desk." Dr. Blanche Woolls, Director of the School, expressed her thanks to LSSI for providing the software and for working closely with the faculty at San Jose to develop the new partnership." ---from San Jose State University's press release

Wed, 28 Aug 2002 14:11:00 GMT

Digital Reference Site:

For those interested in Digital Reference, check out the Teaching Librarian created and maintained by Stephen Francoeur of Baruch College.

Tue, 13 Aug 2002 19:44:10 GMT

Virtual Reference Desk Conference:

Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) Conference, "Charting the Course for Reference: Toward a Preferred Future" will be held in Chicago from Nov. 10-13. This year's theme focuses on planning and direction based on experience, research or trend analyses.

Last year several librarians from CLS member libraries attended the conference, whose theme was "Setting Standards and Making It Real," in Orlando, FL. They came back with really great ideas that enabled CLS to put together a more local follow-up in the spring (March 1, 2002), entitled "Electronic Reference Tools Symposium."