Anne Lipow's Library Solutions Press Publishes First Virtual Reference Training Manual

[Stephen Coffman]

Dear Friends and Colleagues

You really know that a new field has arrived when it gets its first published training manual.

So, it is altogether fitting and appropriate that Anne Lipow and her Library Solutions Press should herald the official birth of live online reference with the publication of the Virtual Reference Desk Training Manual this month.  

Anne as long been a pioneer in the field of virtual reference.  Those of you who have read her articles, heard her presentations, or attended her many Rethinking Reference seminars know that, for many years now, she has been pointing out that it is we librarians who have become remote from our users.  And she has prodded and cajoled the profession to adopt what she calls 'in your face reference'  --- that is, to take our reference services to our users instead of making them come to us --- and to develop the technologies that would allow us to reach out and serve our patrons live and real time on the Web.

So it is heartening to see that the profession and the technology has finally caught up to Anne, and in the past year or so, much of what she has pressed for has indeed come to pass.  There are already several hundred libraries around the world offering live virtual reference services in one form or another --- over one hundred now, using LSSI's Virtual Reference software alone --- and more are coming online everyday.  In fact, I think it is fair to say that reference services hasn't seen a phenomenon anything quite like this since the advent of online searching back in the late 60's.

So it is high time we had a manual, and Anne is certainly the one to do it.  The title is "Establishing a Virtual Reference Service: VRD Virtual Reference Desk Training Manual, by Anne Lipow and Steve Coffman (I helped with the technical parts of it .. but the thinking is all Anne's).  It covers all aspects of starting and operating a virtual reference service including: background on virtual reference services and how libraries are using them, developing service policies, training for virtual reference including a full suite of exercises, how to set up and customize the software, piloting the service, marketing the service and much, much more.  Because the virtual reference field is developing so rapidly, the manual will be updated quarterly reflecting new features of the software, plus key lessons from libraries that are operating virtual reference services. For full details, table of contents, and ordering information, please visit Library Solutions Institute and Press Web site at http://www.library-solutions.com/vrd.html.

The manual is designed to be used with LSSI's Virtual Reference software (www.lssi.com/virtual) and two copies of it are provided for every 'seat' a library purchases on LSSI's virtual reference network.  Of course, the manual will be very useful to any library planning or even thinking about planning a virtual reference service, regardless of the software you use. However, if you are not currently a subscriber to LSSI's Virtual Reference software, and you would like to take advantage of the exercises in the manual, LSSI will provide a free temporary password  good for one week) on the Virtual Reference software for anybody who purchases a copy of the manual.  See the manual for instructions on how to get your free temporary password.  

So I hope you will all join me in congratulating Anne on this new publication, and for working so hard and so long to help make virtual reference a reality.  Thanks in large part to you, Anne ... it's finally happening.  

SC


PS:   Don't forget the Live from London programs this Tuesday and Wednesday ... for details see http://www.lssi.com/virtual/livefromlondon/