Californias Public Law Libraries And 247 Reference Presented by Shirley H. David Director, Sacrament

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Californias Public Law Libraries And 24/7
ReferencePresented by Shirley H.
DavidDirector, Sacramento County Public Law
Library
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Californias Public Law Libraries

• 58 County Law Libraries
• Bernard E. Witkin California State Law Library
• Council of California County Law Librarians
• Twelve Libraries participating as law librarian
  experts with MCLS 24/7 Ref

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CCCLL 24/7 Ref Project Initiation

• MCLS presentation by Susan McGlamery September
  2000 meeting
• Shirley David appointed to monitor virtual
  reference developments - report
• Options presented at September 2001 CCCLL meeting

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Options Presented to CCLLL Members

• Collaborate with MCLS 24/7 Reference Program
• Free access to the software to contributors
• We choose how many hours to staff the service
• We decide whether we want questions filtered
  through the MCLS librarians and/or received
  directly through icons on participating websites
• MCLS provides training and support

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Options Presented to CCLLL Members

• Develop our own virtual reference network
• Choose software and pay software fees
• Choose someone to lead the effort
• Self-finance including seeking grants
• Share staff resources

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Options Presented to CCLLL Members

• Each library may develop its own virtual
  reference service
• Shared websites and materials from research
• Each library develops its own policies
• Each library adds staff
• Each library joins their Library of California
  multi-type region collaborative reference
  project.

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Program Initiation

• Asked for at least 2 hours of monitoring time per
  week to participate
• On-line and in house training before begin
• MCLS provided technical support
• Set up an e-mail discussion listserv hosted by a
  member

• Before project went live, practiced among
  participants for several months
• Asked librarians from AALL chapters to ask
  questions

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How it All Works

• Agreements
• Escort and push pages only to free websites
• Use e-mail list to find replacements when cant
  meet scheduled hours
• Monitor hours away from reference desk whenever
  possible
• Use Judicial Council Website as first choice to
  find answer

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How it All Works

• Coordinator duties
• Monitors scripts and other data
• Facilitates between MCLS staff and Law Librarians
• Originates most listserv discussions
• Coordinates PR and links
• Reports to CCCLL

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Advantages to Collaborating and Joining MCLS 24/7
Ref

• Free access to MCLS e-gain library adapted
  software and support
• No library need add staff
• General questions referred to MCLS

• MCLS provides training
• Can use conference software for training or
  discussions
• Can decide own policies and procedures

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RECENT ENHANCEMENTS

• CCCLL portal and own page
• http//www.247ref.org/portal/access_law3.cfm?libl
  aw
• Page choices include links to
• live service
• E-mail joint and individual library e-mail
• Directory of county law libraries
• Linked from Judicial Council Website
• QRC
• Additional libraries joining adding hours
• Q A Café joined 24/7 ref

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Current Issues

• Quality Control
• Need separate coordinator for QRC
• Coordinators not employer supervisors
• Discussions and decisions re scripts and
  websites
• Can handle more questions

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OTHER ISSUES

• Continued Funding
• For 24/7 ref Grants, outside sales
• For our libraries This service sells!
• Non contributing public law libraries
• Adding other experts
• Medical librarians?
• Will we continue?
• Our customers are on the Internet, they need our
  expertise.