News | Ask a Librarian News and Information

Matt Smith, technical assistant for Ask a Librarian, will be available to answer any technical support questions you may have. For an technical issues, including Oracle, Java, browser, or any other technical trouble shooting, please contact Matt Smith directly at help@askalibrarian.org or smithmm@tblc.org. Matt will be able to assist you with any technical questions you may have.

You can also access the Technical Support page on the toolbox website at anytime http://info.askalibrarian.org/toolbox/technical-support/

Gale, eBooks, and You… Register Today!

Apr 16, 2012 | E-Books, FEL, Gale Resources, News, Reference, Training

Don’t miss out! Sign up now to reserve your space in this timely webinar on nonfiction ebooks in the new GVRL interface.

Gale, eBooks, & You: The New Interface of the Gale Virtual Reference Library

Thursday, May 17, 2-3 pm ET

With electronic reference books from Gale and their publishing partners, you can help your patrons instantly access nonfiction eBooks (with any Internet-connected device) through the Gale Virtual Reference Library. The GVRL is one of many incredible resources available through the Florida Electronic Library… but there’s a new interface in town!

Learn about the Gale Virtual Reference Library and how to utilize its new interface to best help your library patrons in this webinar taught by Julie Pepera of Gale-Cengage.

Write your elected officials during National Library Week 2012!

Apr 12, 2012 | Advocacy, News

Please write to your elected officials during 2012 National Library Week to let them know how important libraries are to you and your community. Tell them about how much your community, your state, needs its libraries! Support your state’s libraries now by sending your elected officials a message from your state library association’s take action page: http://capwiz.com/ala/fl

Libraries continue to be busier than ever helping families, students, seniors, etc., during these tough times. But as we know, public libraries, school libraries, and academic libraries are still struggling to maintain budgets, staff, and resources to serve the needs of their communities. Your state government provides much needed funding for libraries to provide public access to the Internet to everyone, critical databases for individuals and small businesses, homework help, and much more.

If you want to, include in your message a personal story about how your library makes a positive difference in your life!

Please share this message with your friends, family, and colleagues, and ask them to take this opportunity to support libraries in your state!

Thanks for taking the time to support libraries, not only during National Library Week, but all year long!

*A message from Michael Dowling, ALA Chapter Relations Office Director*

Webinar: High Anxiety: Increasing your Comfort Level on the Statewide Desk

Apr 9, 2012 | Agent Console, News, Training

High Anxiety: Increasing your Comfort Level on the Statewide Desk
May Session: Wed., May 30, 2012, 10-11 am ET
August Session: Wed., Aug. 22, 2012, 10-11 am ET

Does the idea of answering statewide chat questions make you feel hesitant and uncomfortable?

Do you feel a little like a fish out of water when you’re scheduled to cover the Collaborative or Academic Desk for your library?

If you feel anxiety while waiting to help statewide chat patrons, you are not alone. Even the most capable and confident of librarians can feel a reduced sense of comfort when answering collaborative chat questions. You bring a lot to the table. This webinar will offer the perspective you need to lasso the comfort you that you have in-house and draw that into the virtual reference environment.