[13832] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
New Journal
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Patterson, Rory L)
Tue Mar 27 20:05:17 2001
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 10:58:49 -0500
From: "Patterson, Rory L" <Rory.L.Patterson@HQ.DOE.GOV>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
Message-id: <16A1B71C3760-01@Department_of_Energy_E-Mail_Security_Server>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
---------------Apologies for cross-posting-----------------
Dear Friends and Colleagues
You really know that a new field has arrived when it gets
its first published training manual.
So, it is altogether fitting and appropriate that Anne
Lipow and her Library Solutions Press should herald the
official birth of live online reference with the publication
of the Virtual Reference Desk Training Manual this month.
Anne as long been a pioneer in the field of virtual
reference. Those of you who have read her articles,
heard her presentations, or attended her many Rethinking
Reference seminars know that, for many years now, she
has been pointing out that it is we librarians who have
become remote from our users. And she has prodded
and cajoled the profession to adopt what she calls 'in
your face reference' --- that is, to take our
reference services to our users instead of making
them come to us --- and to develop the technologies
that would allow us to reach out and serve our patrons
live and real time on the Web.
So it is heartening to see that the profession and the
technology has finally caught up to Anne, and in the past
year or so, much of what she has pressed for has indeed
come to pass. There are already several hundred
libraries around the world offering live virtual
reference services in one form or another --- over one
hundred now, using LSSI's Virtual Reference software
alone --- and more are coming online everyday. In fact,
I think it is fair to say that reference services hasn't
seen a phenomenon anything quite like this since the
advent of online searching back in the late 60's.
So it is high time we had a manual, and Anne is certainly
the one to do it. The title is "Establishing a Virtual
Reference Service: VRD Virtual Reference Desk Training
Manual, by Anne Lipow and Steve Coffman (I helped with
the technical parts of it .. but the thinking is all Anne's).
It covers all aspects of starting and operating a virtual
reference service including: background on virtual
reference services and how libraries are using them,
developing service policies, training for virtual
reference including a full suite of exercises, how to set
up and customize the software, piloting the service,
marketing the service and much, much more. Because
the virtual reference field is developing so rapidly, the
manual will be updated quarterly reflecting new
features of the software, plus key lessons from l
ibraries that are operating virtual reference services.
For full details, table of contents, and ordering
information, please visit Library Solutions Institute
and Press Web site at
http://www.library-solutions.com/vrd.html.
The manual is designed to be used with LSSI's
Virtual Reference software (www.lssi.com/virtual)
and two copies of it are provided for every 'seat' a
library purchases on LSSI's virtual reference network.
Of course, the manual will be very useful to any library
planning or even thinking about planning a virtual
reference service, regardless of the software you use.
However, if you are not currently a subscriber to
LSSI's Virtual Reference software, and you would like
to take advantage of the exercises in the manual, LSSI
will provide a free temporary password good for one
week) on the Virtual Reference software for anybody
who purchases a copy of the manual. See the manual
for instructions on how to get your free temporary
password.
So I hope you will all join me in congratulating Anne on
this new publication, and for working so hard and so
long to help make virtual reference a reality. Thanks
in large part to you, Anne ... it's finally happening.
SC
PS: Don't forget the Live from London programs this
Tuesday and Wednesday ... for details see
http://www.lssi.com/virtual/livefromlondon/
Rory Patterson
Reference Librarian
DOE Energy Library
Germantown
301-903-4167
