NCknows: Goals and Dreams

Goals This project will enable staff from public and academic libraries to cooperate in provision of virtual reference service to North Carolinians. The end users will be able to communicate via the Internet in live “chat” sessions with reference librarians. A single web interface will be developed as the starting point. The virtual reference software to be used, and the organizational model for sharing the work among partner libraries, will be based on efforts already in place throughout the country. The project will provide an opportunity to evaluate whether a collaborative virtual reference project is beneficial to users and libraries. – from Project Proposal Is this an effective way to provide reference service to North Carolina? – evaluators Your definition of success? Questions we want answered. –Can we provide ref across library types? –Does the tech work? Might there be a better way technologically? –Is there a need? –If you or your library have more, let Jeff Pomerantz know.

Future of Reference Professional Goals Assumptions: –Research needs still unmet, room for improvement –Users are on Internet –Librarians are the natural resource for improving research How to best use this experiment to reinforce our traditional mission. How will this new technology enable us to expand our mission:

Imagine Meet Lee Smith Ask the Author (children able to interview YA authors during school hours- archived transcripts, book deal, riches...) Speak to a North Carolina Business Information Specialist, every Tuesday 8-10 How to find Native American info for Mrs. Holloway’s 3 rd grade class (Saturday meeting specifically for her class) Orientation to library resources for NC homeschoolers Advantages: –Online equivalent of current projects but with outreach to non-traditional users. –Involves networking with small communities that are hard to cater to regionally but may make sense statewide (homeschoolers, for instance) –Maximize use of expert/speaker’s time for wide audience. –Each instance is a marketing opportunity.

Imagine NC Government Resources portal, NC medical info in libraries website, NC Business Librarian portal. Listserv with daily “question and answers”, highlighting various different approaches and generating conversation about different sources. “Cross-fertilized” learning about practical resources and reference ideas between libraries as a result of a statewide collaboration. “Experts with 15 minutes” network. Bring science back to library science!