Wisconsin Library Association

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• Wisconsin Library Association
• October 31, 2002

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• THE TALE OF TWO VIRTUAL REFERENCE PROJECTS
• Alliance Library System
• READY FOR REFERENCE
• http//www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/ready
• North Suburban Library System
• ANSWERS UNLIMITED
• http//www.answersunlimited.org

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• SOME BACKGROUND

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• What is
• READY FOR REFERENCE
• http//www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/ready
• A virtual reference service provided by
• 9 academic libraries in central and west central
  Illinois

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PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES

• 
  Student FTEs Faculty FTEs
• Black Hawk College, Kewanee 700
  118
  
• Bradley University, Peoria
  6,000 875
• Eureka College, Eureka
  498 106
• Illinois Central College, East Peoria 6,139
  350
• Illinois State University, Normal 17,823
  3,147
• John Wood Comm. College, Quincy 1,340
  171
• Quincy University, Quincy 1,300
  100
• Spoon River College, Canton 2,100
  200
• Western Illinois University (7/02) 12,270
  820
• TOTAL
  48,170 5,887

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Why were academic librarians eager to try virtual
reference?

• Some libraries had less onsite reference use.
• All wanted to assist students using the Internet
  at the students point of need.
• Articles and presentations on virtual reference
  suggested reference on the Web was do-able.

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Ready 4 Reference Project TIMELINE..

• Interested academic librarians met early in
  Summer 2000.
• Participants wrote an LSTA grant for 24/7
  web-based reference.
• Selected LSSIs Virtual Reference Desk product.
• Grant awarded in December participants received
  training in January.
• Advisory Committee formed comprised of
  participants.
• Project went live 15 February 2001 with limited
  hours expanded to 24/7 on 5 March 2001.

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PROJECT GROWTH

• Additional library has joinedmore are on their
  way.
• Volume continues to increase.
• Sessions by day of week
• Jan-June
  July-Dec
• Mondays 109
  202
• Tuesdays 113
  183
• Wednesdays 118
  182
• Thursdays 115
  155
• Fridays 72
  93
• Saturdays 42
  53
• Sundays 44
  107
• Total 613
  975

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What isAnswers Unlimitedhttp//www.answerunlimit
ed.org

• A virtual reference service provided by 14 public
  libraries in the north and northwest suburbs of
  the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area.

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The Participants

• Arlington Heights Memorial Library (Arlington
  Heights, IL)
• Barrington Area Library (Barrington,IL)
• Cook Memorial Public Library District
  (Libertyville,IL)
• Des Plaines Public Library (Des Plaines, IL)
• Ela Area Public Library (Lake Zurich, IL)
• Evanston Public Library (Evanston, IL)
• Crystal Lake Public Library (Crystal Lake, IL)
• Gail Borden Public Library District (Elgin, IL)
• Glenview Public Library (Glenview, IL)
• Prospect Heights Public Library District
  (Prospect Heights, IL)
• Schaumburg Township District Library (Schaumburg,
  IL)
• Skokie Public Library (Skokie, IL)
• Warren-Newport Public Library (Gurnee, IL)
• Waukegan Public Library (Waukegan, IL)

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Why would public libraries want to do this?

• Funded by the North Suburban Library System
  (NSLS)
• Concern for future of libraries and the evolving
  role of librarians
• Draw non-users to the library
• Give librarians a chance to be proactive instead
  of reactive
• Create something new

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The Adventure

• August 15, 2000 An informational meeting was held
  at NSLS headquarters
• Fall 2000 Out of 650 member institutions 12
  public libraries stepped forward
• 7 months to iron out procedures, guidelines,
  schedules, and gain trust
• January 2001-- Year-long pilot project planning
  began. The librarians created, designed, and
  instituted service
• May 2001--Two-day training session provided by
  LSSI.
• June -July 2001-- Interactive testing period.
• August 1, 2001-- went live to the public.

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The Reality

• We have gone from approximately 350 questions to
  a peak volume of over a 1,500 queries per month
• Heaviest use is during the school year and
  students are some of our most devoted users
• Coverage has expanded from 86 hours per week to
  24/7
• Number of participating libraries has grown from
  12 to 14 and 5 more libraries have expressed an
  interest in joining

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Statistics
Monthly Totals August 2001- October 2002
August -384 September-486 October-834 November-107
9 December-888 January-793 February-894 March-917

April-1049 May -965 June-376 July-389 August
511 September- 1084 October-1525
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• JUST A CLICK AWAY..

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ANSWERS UNLIMTED READY FOR REFERENCE
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JUST A CLICK AWAY PLANNING GRANT FOR 24/7 DIGITAL
REFERENCE

• Multi-System!
• Multi-Type!
• Synchronous Asynchronous

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COLLABORATIVE PLANNING

• Reasons to collaborate
• Expands each libraries ability to provide their
  patrons with access to reference service (24/7)
• Utilizes higher end software because of the
  ability to affordably share cost
• Decreases number of hours any one libraries staff
  must provide virtual service
• Get more bang from your buck by sharing
• Software expenses
• Marketing/PR items and strategies
• Website and web design
• Increase collective bargaining/buying power
• Create a higher level of quality of service for
  patrons
• Develop stronger ties with fellow participants
• Illinois libraries increase their relevancy to a
  greater of our States population.
• Meet users at their point of need

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The Future July 2002-December 2003

• December 2001--NSLS/ALS wrote and received grant
  money to extend project for another year and a
  half. Thus combining our two services.
• July-December 2002-- 6-month planning phase of
  the grant.
• January-December 2003--We will embark on the
  remaining one-year of the grant.
• 2003--Goal is to merge these two successful
  entities into a multi-tiered 24/7 virtual
  reference available state-wide.

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CONTINUING EVALULATION

• How do we
• Fit this service into the missions of the
  libraries reference services
• Incorporate bibliographic instruction
• Benchmark
• Determine if chat reference increases in-house
  reference?

• Determine the most effective way to publicize to
  students, faculty and general public
• Ascertain if there questions/type of questions in
  common
• Expand the service and collaborative opportunities

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CURRENT ACTIVITIES

• Interim Advisory Committee has been
  established comprised of current participants.

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SUBCOMMITEES

• Personnel
• Standards/Guidelines
• Marketing/PR
• Website
• Vendors/Licensure
• Presentation/Recruiting
• Training
• Sustainability

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RECRUITMENT TIMELINE

• Fall 2002 Spring 2003 ALS and NSLS are
  recruiting multi-type member libraries into the
  project.
• Summer 2003 Additional systems/libraries are
  expected to join the project.

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How does it work?

• LSSI VRD software is used
• LSSI provides backup after hours, during peak
  times and holidays

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Each participating library has the AU logo
available on their homepage.
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www.answersunlimited.org
At home, at work, at play, the answer is only
a click away!
A cooperative project of the participating
libraries in the North Suburban Library System.
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View from the patron side
By clicking on Ask a Question another frame is
generated to begin their session.
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(No Transcript)
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View from the librarians side
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Librarians Screen
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Librarians Screen
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Patrons Side
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• Transcripts and Email
• Once the session is complete, the patron will
  receive a full transcript in their email.
• They will also receive a full set of active
  links at the end of the session which will enable
  them to go back to the sites that were sent to
  them.

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Thank You!
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TO VISIT THE CURRENT SITES AND FOLLOW THE
PROJECTS PROGRESS.
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ANSWERS UNLIMITED WEBSITE http//www.answersunlim
ited.org/

• READY FOR REFERENCE WEBSITE
• http//www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/ready
• COMBINED LOGO COMING SOON.
• STAYED TUNED!

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATIONContactAnna
Yackle ayackle_at_nsls.info [phone] ext.
7151 Mary-Carol Lindbloom217-223-4857mclindbloo
m_at_alliancelibrarysystem.com
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• QUESTIONS??