[WEB4LIB] Summary: Virtual Reference Services (fwd)

[Cecilia Lee]

Dear Web4libbers,
	
Here is a summary of the responses I received with regard to my
query on Virtual Reference Services in libraries.  I would like to thank
all who responded to my question.  I welcome any further contribution you
may have on this topic.  You may email me directly if you like.  

Original Question: 

I would like to find out if there are any libraries or distant
education programs that provide library user education in a remote setting.
I'm interested in projects which are interactive in nature, like Berkeley's
"See You See A Librarian" Project and the use of video-conferencing in
patron-librarian interaction at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Apart from video-conferencing, are there any other technologies which would
enable librarians to interact with patrons remotely?  I would really
appreciate any help on this.

Responses:

-- Bernie Sloan --
I have a Web site that might give you some info on this.  I haven't
had a chance to update it in a couple of months, but it still has lots of
useful info on library support for distance learning:
http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~sloan/libdist.htm

-- Linda Hyman --
I think that Microsoft NetMeeting has some real potential.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is a Mac version yet.

-- Lynne Fox --
Your message was forwarded to me by a colleague.  We currently
provide distance library instruction via a two way interactive video system
used for course delivery at our School of Nursing.  I would be happy to
correspond with you about my experiences. When you have received comments
about other librarians' experiences, I would be delighted to receive a
summary.

-- Patrick Johnson --
You could also try using interactive chat through a web based
program such as I-chat or posssibly go with e-mail style training.

-- Elisa Miller --
If you would like, I will also forward your message to the
Bibliographic-Instruction listserv as  most of the people on that list are
instructional librarians.  I will request that they forward their responses
to you directly.