[15061] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Green Award for Virtual Reference
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (GreenAward)
Wed Jan 7 20:13:26 2004
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Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 23:40:32 -0500
From: GreenAward <greenaward@VIRTUALREFERENCE.NET>
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Janet Clapp of Librarians by Request
Wins S.S. Green Award for Best Reference Transaction
NEW YORK - December 17, 2003 - Tutor.com is pleased to announce that Janet
Clapp has won a $500 award for the best transcript of a virtual synchronous
reference transaction. Ms. Clapp has a background in public library
reference work and in providing reference assistance via a live virtual
reference service. She has a 1995 Masters of Library Science from the
University of Pittsburgh.
The Green Award is named in honor of Samuel Swett Green, the founder of
reference services in the United States.
Ms. Clapp's transaction was selected by a seven-member international panel
of distinguished practitioners and researchers, including Marie Radford
(Pratt Institute), Linda Berube (Co-East, England), Philippa Crosbie
(University of Sydney, Australia), Anne Lipow (Library Solutions Institute
and Press, Berkeley, CA), Jenny Marvin (University of Guelph, Canada), and
Mary Bucher Ross (Seattle Public Library, Washington State). John
Richardson, UCLA Professor of Information Studies, chaired the panel and
helped maintain the single blind review status of the award.
In selecting the best electronic transcript of a chat or live and real time
transaction (but not an email transaction), the panel considered relevant
quality factors such as accuracy of the answer, user as well as librarian
satisfaction, and utility of the answer to the user. In support of their
selection, members said:
"The Librarian clarified the patron question and attempted to confirm which
sources the patron had already used in their research. The Librarian guided
the patron to appropriate sources, which he/she was then able to use to
locate relevant articles. I think this transcript exemplifies the successful
use of both the chat and co-browsing facilities of online reference software
to fulfill a patron request. The Librarian was clearly comfortable with this
medium and did not allow technology to interfere with the basic principles
of the reference interview. The overall impression of the transaction was
of an enthusiastic Librarian and a satisfied patron."
Congratulations to Janet Clapp! See Janet Clapp's award's winning transcript
and all previous winning transcripts at the Green Award Web page:
http://vrhome.virtualreference.net/greenaward.htm
# # #
For More Information
Jennifer Kohn
jkohn@tutor.com
