Feelin’ generous?
As of 1 pm ET on Wed., Sept. 7, the following Ask a Librarian shifts currently need help:
Mon., Sept. 12, 12-1 pm (collaborative)
Tues., Sept. 13, 6-7 pm (collaborative)
Fri., Sept. 16, 12-1 pm (collaborative)
Sat., Sept. 17, 11a-12p and 12-1pm (collaborative)
Mon., Sept. 19, 12-1 pm (academic)
Tues., Sept. 20, 6-7 pm (collaborative)
Wed., Sept. 21, 12-1 pm (academic)
Fri., Sept. 23, 12-1 pm (collaborative)
If you can help, please email Traci at avett@tblc.org and she will shower you with appreciation & gratitude.
Chat, Text, Email Statistics – August 2011
The following statistics are now available for the month of August 2011:
FEL Training through the State Library
This is just a friendly reminder that the State Library of Florida offers terrific on-demand and live webinar training opportunities (in-person by request) on Florida Electronic Library resources through this link:
http://www.flelibrary.org/training/
“The Florida Electronic Library—your gateway to superior electronic resources that offer access to comprehensive, accurate, and reliable information—offers a training program designed to meet the needs of all library staff. With its blended curriculum, you can take advantage of the training that best suits your learning style: on demand, live webinar, or on-site in your library.”
They offer training on many topics:
FEL/Gale Resources and Mobile Access
Gale Databases – Behind the Scenes
Homework Help Using FEL Resources
Integrating eResources into the Classroom
Research for Media Specialists
Small Business Help Using FEL Resources
The Power of Web 2.0: Best Practices Using FEL Resources
What You Don’t Know About FEL Business Resources
What You Don’t Know About FEL Health Resources
Have a great weekend!
Traci
Refresher Webinar
Space is still available in our brief webinar designed to help you brush-up on both chat and texting in the Ask a Librarian software. Are you in need of a refresher? Does texting have you confused? If so, this workshop will help you regain your footing in staffing Ask a Librarian.
Ask a Librarian 1.5-hour Refresher Webinar
Wed., Sept. 7, 2011
10-11:30 am ET
To register, please visit: http://www.tblc.org/ws_info.php?ws=1577
OCLC Report on Virtual Reference
Hello everyone,
OCLS & Rutgers University have published a report based on five years of research on virtual reference. It is called “Seeking Synchronicity: Revelations and Recommendations for Virtual Reference”, by Lynn Silipigni Connaway and Marie L. Radford, and you can view or download the full PDF at http://www.oclc.org/reports/synchronicity/full.pdf.
More information can be found at http://www.oclc.org/reports/synchronicity/default.htm. Below is an excerpt from the page description :
[…]Seeking Synchronicity distills more than five years of virtual reference (VR) research into a readable summary that features memorable quotes that vividly illustrate very specific and actionable suggestions. Taken from a multi-phase research project that included focus group interviews, surveys, transcript analysis, and phone interviews, with VR librarians, users, and non-users, these findings are meant to help practitioners develop and sustain VR services and systems. The report asserts that the “R” in “VR” needs to emphasize virtual “Relationships” as well as “Reference”.
Among the topics addressed are:
•The exaggerated death of ready reference
•The importance of query clarification in VR
•Ways to boost accuracy and build better interpersonal relationships in VR
•What can be learned from VR transcripts
•How convenience is the “hook” that draws users into VR services
•Generational differences in how people perceive reference interactions and determine success
•The need for more and better marketing
Enjoy your weekend!
help needed – upcoming shifts
The following Ask a Librarian shifts are in need of help:
Sat., Aug. 6, 1-2 and 2-3pm (collaborative)
Sun., Aug. 7, 6-7 and 7-8 pm (collaborative)
Tues., Aug. 9, 6-7 and 7-8 pm
Wed., Aug. 10, 2-3* and 3-4* pm (academic)
Wed., Aug. 10, 5-6* pm (collaborative)
Thurs., Aug. 11, 11a-12p (academic)
Thurs., Aug. 11, 6-7 and 7-8 pm (collaborative)
Fri., Aug. 12, 10-11a, 11a-12p, 1-2 pm (academic)
Mon., Aug. 15, 2-3* pm (academic)
Mon., Aug. 15, 2-3* and 7-8* pm (collaborative)
Tues., Aug. 16, 6-7 and 7-8 pm (collaborative)
Wed., Aug. 17, 5-6* pm (collaborative)
Thurs., Aug. 18, 11a-12p (academic)
Thurs., Aug. 18, 6-7* and 7-8 pm (collaborative)
Fri., Aug. 19, 11a-12p, 12-1, 1-2, 2-3 pm (academic)
Also, if you are interested in picking up an additional regular shift, weekly Collaborative Desk shifts are available in these ranges (hourly):
Mondays, 10-11a, 5-8pm
Tuesdays, 6-8 pm
Wednesdays, 10a-1p, 5-8pm
Thursdays, 5-8 pm
Saturdays, 11a-3p
Sundays, 10a-8p
If you can help with any of the above one-time or weekly shifts in need of help, please let me know at avett@tblc.org. Enjoy your weekend!!
Chat, Text, Email Statistics – July 2011
The following statistics are now available for the month of July 2011:
Email Workshop – Register Today!
Space is still available in next week’s Ask a Librarian Email webinar on Tues., Aug. 2 at 10 am ET. If you need a refresher on answering emails in the agent console for your library system, or if you currently utilize your own email system but would like a sneak-peek on how email works inside the Ask a Librarian console, please sign up today. (Registration closes at noon on July 28.)
To register, please visit: http://www.tblc.org/ws_info.php?ws=1511