Today’s library thought leader is Mary-Carol Lindbloom, the Executive Director for the South Central Regional Library Council in New York state. When did you get started in reference, and more specifically virtual reference? In the summer of 1999, when a group of us, including Tom Peters, Lori Bell, and Ginny McCoy, met in person at […]
Author Archives: Sabrina
Google Talk Workarounds for Mosio for Libraries Notifications (Not Using Hangouts)
A Public Library Mosio patron writes, “We’ve been using Google Talk to notify us of new Text a Librarian questions. Now that Google Talk has been discontinued (and sort of replaced by Google Hangouts), we’re finding that Google Hangouts is not notifying us of new Text a Librarian messages. What do you recommend for a library […]
Self-service at the Library
According to a 2010 article in Library Journal, “85 percent of libraries offer some sort of self-service, and that percentage goes up with the size of the population served.” The variety of self-service options include: self checkout, book and DVD vending machines, automated computer booking and online account access. The article also found that overall […]
How to Create a Great FAQ Page for Your Library
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page can be a useful tool that patrons, and even library staff, can refer to to get helpful answers to frequent questions. However, FAQs can often become outdated, and lackluster FAQs will give a poor impression of your library and its customer service. A well thought out and maintained FAQ […]
Virtual Reference – When to Collaborate
The spirit of sharing and cooperation is perfectly at home in the Library world. The most traditional form of collaboration is Interlibrary Loan, but libraries have also found some more unique ways to collaborate, including through shared virtual reference services. There are several things to keep in mind when establishing collaboration on virtual reference service. […]
6 Ways to be More Efficient with Your Virtual Reference Services
Virtual references services can broaden the scope of library services, and help you to reach new patrons, but one of the keys to a successful virtual reference program is efficiency. 1. Create a FAQ for you and for patrons. A FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list is a helpful resource for any library website that both […]