Reference and Information Services Group Meeting
18 October 2007
10.00am to 12.00noon
Singleton Library
Present Joanne Smith, Lake Macquarie; Fiona Watson, Lake Macquarie; Rachel Mallaby, Lake Macquarie; Carole Read, Bankstown; Robyn Menzies, Blue Mountains; Jennifer Blume, Newcastle Regional Library; Sally Webster, Great Lakes; Megan Pitt, Central Northern Regional Library; Ross Balharrie, Manly Library; Nicole Lonsdale, Singleton; Rose-marie Walters, Cessnock; Andrew Powell, Cessnock; Ellen Forsyth, State Library
Beyond Google – what are libraries doing that is ‘more’ than Google?
- NSW.net databases – have to know what to look for – it would be helpful to be able to have to the choice of federated searches (see ACT libraries), rather than having to know the database to search
- Example of Newcastle having done help sheets for all the new NSWnet databases – how to move this forward – discussion around creation and use of help sheets
- Think about what would make client/staff experience better in libraries
- Need to be more collaborative
- Mosman examples of moving out to the consumers domain – flickr etc
- Are we trying to do too much – chasing trends?
- Need to do things well and keep main local client group in mind
- Telstra “ get broadband’ ad when going to the library, or using library resources would have given the answer
- How to find out ‘are we the only ones’ with a specific problems/issues
- Idea of using online forums for discussions – discussions on forums to discuss issues – permanent categories to discuss – permanent archive to outline issues etc
- From the State Library web site focus group above issue came up
- Forum to capture information
Tips and tricks for using Google – how do you use it to save you time?
- · Search using limit of entire website – this allows searching within a website. Go to advanced search. Put the entire url in the domain field. This will allow you to search only within the specified website or you can type search terms site:domain name in the search box for example dr who site:www.abc.net.au
- · Define:word to be defined for example define:tardis This will only search glossaries, dictionaries etc
- · Google document is a way of adding documents to a blog – can also be a way to share documents and restrict access.
- · Look at Google advanced search hints for some more ideas http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/refinesearch.html
Slam the boards – what is it and how to be involved Slam the boards is an idea which came from a librarian in the US. Bill Pardue thought it would be a good idea for librarians to slam the (answer) boards (like Yahoo answers etc) for one day picking off questions and stating that the answers were provided by a librarian. Feedback from the first day was so positive that it was decided that there would be a once a month repeat of this so on the 10th of every month librarians are encouraged to ‘slam the boards’. Bankstown Library has been involved in this. Library staff can choose to answer as many or as few questions as they like. Responses from librarians involved show that engagement in the answer boards is a way of promoting libraries as often people are using the boards because they did not know they could ask a library. For more information see the following wiki http://answerboards.wikifoundry.com/
ref-ex – where is the New South Wales reference excellence project up to? Update on project
- · ref-ex (the project to make the Ohio Reference Excellence website http://www.olc.org/ore/ into a NSW relevant version) was edited and ready to go for August 2006, but there have been a series of technical hitches which have delayed the project.
- · The technology available has changed during this time so the proposed revised plan of action is
- · For 2 – 3 people to recheck the text which was edited in 2006
- · For 2 – 4 people to add this text to a wiki
- · For the wiki to be tested
- · For audio files to be added where appropriate (for example demonstrations of what an effective reference interview sounds like, youtube and flickr files where appropriate to add images )
- · The text checking and wiki creation should be able to be done in 2007.
- · The audio and image files can be added in as they become available – early 2008 would be fine for this
- · Early 2008 Ref-ex NSW (reference excellence NSW) will go from being a project to being sustainable. At that time the project team will cease and a working group of RISG will manage, develop and maintain the Ref-ex wiki.
What do we need to do?
- The project team will need to be re-convened – probably one meeting
- Volunteers to check the editing of the text – probably one day of work about 3 people (I think there are already enough volunteers for this)
- Volunteers to construct and populate the wiki using the architecture and text which has been edited – 3 – 4 people about 1 day each (max). It would work best if one or two people (working together) set up the wiki structure
- One or two libraries to test the wiki as a training tool
- Technology audit – who has the technology to record podcast, make videos for youtube or take photographs (of libraries) for flickr?
- Volunteers to form the working group to develop and maintain the Ref-ex wiki. Commitment would be for about 12 months. 3 – 5 people
- Note for all of the above it would be helpful to have a mix of metropolitan and country library staff represented.
If you are interested in checking the existing constructing and pasting the editied text in the wiki or forming the working group to develop and maintain the wiki in 2008 please send an expression of interest to Ellen Forsyth stating your name, your library and your skills or interest in working in this area.
Note for the checking the editing and constructing the wiki you would need to be able to have time to do this during November or early December. Ellen will send a separate e-mail around about this.
Ideas for collaborating in reference services – is there more we can do? – On hold until ref-ex project is completed General business
- · Newcastle is having Census ABS sessions – have had good responses locally, Newcastle Library is working on training in this area. Formed stronger networks
- · Lake Macquarie is recoding oral histories of the June storms. Library staff are interviewing council staff and people from the community. They are also collating newspaper articles and pictures. It will probably be on their website by the first anniversary of the storms
- · Blue Mountains is having a local history conference 17 November. It will include Rosie Block doing training in oral history recording.
- Subjects for discussion at the next meeting.
Agenda
- · Progress of ref- ex
- · Establishment of ref-ex maintenance group
- · Training – courses/or how we learn the new technologies
- · Update on the new State Library website
- · Slam the boards – discussion about using it as an avenue for promoting reference and information services
- · What are people doing for reference collection development – balance from print and online
- · Who has a successful strategy for talking to schools/p and c
Fairfield has offered to host the next meeting. The date will be e-mailed to the list shortly. It will be in February 2008.
Favourite/least favourite reference tool
- · Blue Mountains - Gale publishing – reference e-books under consideration – remote access not dependent on time – core reference collection online – cost ~15 more than print copies. Manly – mainly reading e-book collection rather than reference
- · Cessnock – lots of recent enquiries requiring the use of print resources
- · students asking for ‘credible source’
- · Manly – 3 volumes – Empires of war – very heavy use in the library
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