1. iGS is designed to be a movable information station in two parts; self service ”pumps” and a double-sided service unit. People can come to the station with their questions and problems or they can send questions to the station by email, SMS etc.

2. Project Funded by the Access to Learning Award (Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, 2000) total budget ~350 000 € planning 10 % device, furniture 20 % staff 50 % rents etc. 20% Project Duration Time: 2001-2002

3. iGS: starting points 1. Promote information service 2. Modernize a public library’s image 3. Establish a place and premices for personal face to face service 4. Test mobility

4. 1. Information service Widen the range of ”librarish” information needs Find new user groups –young –busy –others who normally cannot visit a library Ask anything

5. 2. Library’s image A library without books –traditional image of a library: shelves, collections, classifications –test: can we run a public library without books and collections? To advertise modern public libraries and make them visible –bright red design –”silly” brand to be remembered

6. 3. Personal Service [1] Self-service is the trend of today –lending, payment etc. Often self-service is better service –avoid queues by lending desk –not personal control: ”Don’t look what I read” –at produder’s point of view: cut the costs Everybody can search information? –all information by Google? –”intelligent” search services –we don’t need libraries in future?

7. 3. Personal Service [2] Still need for information professionals – oversupply of information – licenced resources and databases – peoples’ routine ways on their information behaviour – demand for knowledge on possibilities and effective or many- sided ways of search –- public libraries’ task: to promote information literacy

8. Personal Service [2] Traditional model: –librarian is a gatekeeper iGS model: –librarian is a consult –in learning and training Customer have tos decide which information is relevant –->at every phase of search process (not only final results)

9. Side by side Why ”iGS” brand? At a good old gas station you get your windscreeen cleaned, and so in information Gas Station, if your screen is dusty

10. 4. Mobility Mobile service at virtual –customers information need arise ”on the road” and they want to send questions from anywhere Movable unit – we move along the road – to places we are needed ”The librarian with the portable computer” ?

11. Equipment and tools [1] Personal service: ”gas station” –2 worstations for a librarian and a customer Self-service ”pumps” –2 workstations for a single customer ” Gas stationlike” architecture designed by Talli Offices

12. Equipment and tools [2] Virtual service –database software (SunPoint Oy) –email and SMS at the same application and interface –by the Internet-browser –answers can be given anywhere

13. Archive All questions and answers -- email and SMS -- are automatically stored to an archive 60 subject categories –based on real questions of the first 3 months –as intuitive for the users as possible –not ”librarish” classifications Browsing by the categories Search by keyword We have not yet studied the use of the archive

14. Media profiles Visits 1. Internet and email 24% 2. Software 13% 3. iGS 10% 4. Computers 5% 5. Helsinki 4% 6. Tourism 4% N= 991 Email 1. Music 7% 2. Transport 5% 3. Economy and business 4% 4. Writers, litterature 4% 5. Language and words 4% 6. Health, medicin 4 % N=978 SMS 1. Music 6% 2. Transport 5% 3. Health 5% 4. Language and words 5% 5. Economy and business 4% 6. People 3% N=623 Most popular categories in 2001

15. What have we done? [1] First year –at Lasipalatsi Film and Media Centre –gallery-like space at the heart of the city (in the neighbourhood of the Cable book library Visits to fairs –Knowledge Management Days for Professionals –Helsinki Book Fair

16. What have we done? [2] Helsinki Central Railway Station –Media-happening, radio, newspapers –30 visits / day, 20-25 virtual questions / day –Cold, windy, arctic and noicy circumstances, but very rewarding and interesting –no troubles with customers Second year –iGS needed larger space around –people don’t come in to small space –2002 on tour

17. What have we done? [3] Service House for Senior Citizens –we felt us wanted –seniors’ questions: computers, email, e-postcards, word- processing, genealogy, war, euros, rehabilitations, own children, Helsinki Olympic games, Carelia before war etc, military archive, old comics etc.

18. Team team of 10 persons chosen from the staff of City Library 2 persons work at same time rest of time they work on their own libraries, but can answer to virtual questions in the begining we arranged special training for them to update their skills with digital and networked information search experiences transfer in a natural way to the everyday life and enrich their home libraries

19. Staff’s view [1] Query in January 2002 –slogan ”ask anything” is good, but demanding –work without books: effective way to learn how to utilize network resources –often a book is the only source or fastes way to valid information –best way: ”a joint library” with all materials - both digital and printed –I have fun in working by iGS -- but only if I can go back to my own library with books after a week –” book trap”: a librarian’s conventional solution is to see only books and own collections - and forget other resources. It is good training to fall in reversed circumstances

20. Staff’s view [2] –two-dimensional work (virtual / real) is a good combination: it could be frustrating to work alone with search results only and without real contact to customers –at first I found SMS as best service -- later I feel the personal service as most rewarding –guidance on Internet-search is the best we can do for the customers –Railway station proved us that we are needed also as live - not only at network –at railway station we did what was intended at the beginning

21. Conclusions [1] Easy, quick ways for information services are needed We did not know how people see library’s image and scope of competence Some questions could never have been made by the library desk Some people send us jokes and tests -- we take all questions seriously and sometimes with humour

22. Conclusions [2] Ideal and reality: a gate-keeper or a consult? –short text-messages, as well as several email-messages force us to give short information –customers have different backgrounds what kind of information is most valuable for the customer: readymade facta or learning the ways how to mine and refine information? --> some need facta --> some don’t have time to learn how to search

23. What next? Continue the tour on-line service by chat on-line service on radio / TV

24. Future How may the next generation of iGS look like? –mobility: more easy to move –security: more safe –more compact -- modular structure –wireless connections (today not stable enough) SMS protocol replaced by new – in future other mobile, portable and light devices – from short messages to longer (MMS or something else)

25. Information Gas Station http://igs.kirjastot.fi/ (finnish) http://igs.kirjastot.fi/index3.html (english)