Days of Future Past and Digital Reference

Mary-Carol Lindbloom South Central Regional Library Council 14 September 2010

Tuesday Afternoon……

“I'm just beginning to see.… Now I'm on my way…. It doesn't matter to me…. Chasing the clouds away….”

From the 19th Century Reference Desk to….

One Ringy Dingy, Two Ringy Dingy….

Somewhere along the way...Where have all the questions gone? (Not over the rainbow!)

Questions ? Questions ?

• Are you answering more, fewer, or the same number of questions over the last three years?

Digital Reference

• Asynchronous (email)

• Synchronous (chat, IM, SMS)

(Sort of) !!

Email

Collaborative Virtual Reference

• Virtual Reference

• SMS Text Reference

• Second Life: Info Island International

Why Collaborate? • Expertise• Brand/Marketing• Ideas• Costs• Experiences/Strategies• Desk rotations• Hours• Consistency• Networking• And it’s more fun!

Virtual Reference Collaboratives

• Who participates in Virtual Reference?

• Which service?

• A collaborative pilot project offering text messaging reference service for those asking questions via a mobile device.

• The service is available to all users of the participating libraries by texting 309-222-7740. Many users input their three-letter code.

• MIQ answers most questions and has a disclaimer about not providing medical, tax, or legal advice.

• Questions are limited to 160 characters; answers to 320 characters.

• Nearly 70 libraries are participating, across the US and now Canada.

• Volume: July 2009 - April 2010: 8,055.

Who accepts questions via SMS Text?

Seeking Out New Worlds……..

Virtual World Reference

What is Second Life?• A 3-D online, virtual, digital

world imagined, created, and owned by its residents.

• Linden Lab provides the platform.

• SL is populated by millions of residents.

• SL is a complete world with communities, cultures, events, services, businesses, recreation, buildings, and music.

• SL is used increasingly for meetings and education.

The Art of Reference in a Virtual World

• “Are you really a librarian??”• 40 volunteers working 80 hours per week. • Questions are lower than actual—not all

report.• Most questions are environmental in nature

(not uncommon in traditional libraries) • 10-13% are physical world questions.• Jan-May 2010 - 1,151 residents have

interacted with a librarian.• Volume in 2008 topped 11,000; 4380 in 2009.

Other Places Answers are Provided

Not to mention…….

“You're here today No future fears……”

The Future is………WILD

• Quotes are from the Moody Blues, Days of Future Past released on Deramic Records, November 1967.

“Cold hearted orb that rules the night…. Removes the colours from our sight…. Red is grey and yellow, white…. But we decide which is right And which is an illusion.”

Questions? For more information Contact:

Mary-Carol Lindbloom mclindbloom@scrlc.org

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