Collaborative Online/Digital Reference Projects (fwd)

[Nancy Morgan]

I'm posting this for Blythe Bennett of the Virtual Reference Desk project.

Nancy

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Nancy Virgil Morgan	nmorgan at iis.syr.edu
GEM Coordinator		315-443-3640
www.geminfo.org		www.thegateway.org
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Bernie,

The Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) Project coordinates a collaborative
Internet-based question and answer service. This service provides support
to Ask-an-Expert (or AskA) services by accepting out-of-scope and overflow
questions.

When a subject specific service receives questions that are out of its
stated scope area, it can forward those questions to the VRD Network for
assistance. If a question cannot be addressed by another participating
service, it will be handled by one of the VRD Network Information
Specialists, a librarian volunteering to respond with suggested resources
or an answer. Volunteers are school, public, and academic librarians and
MLS students.  The volunteer librarians with the VRD Network have an
intensive training session before taking actual questions from patrons.
Training sessions are ongoing and we are always happy to have new
volunteers.

The network can accept questions from K-12 students, educators, parents,
and the general public.

 
Among other services, these participate most actively with the VRD Network
in question exchange:

Ask A MAD Scientist 		
AskERIC
Ask a Space Scientist (NASA)	
Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education
Environmental Protection Agency
Internet Public Library	
Library of Congress's American Memory
Morris County Public Library (NJ)	
National Museum of American Art	
ScienceLine (from the UK)

Each service responds to questions using their own format, policy, and
response time. We are always eager to have new AskA services (library
related and subject specific) join the network. There is no cost to
participate.

Benefits to AskA services in the network:
*Forward out of scope questions to VRD to be answered by appropriate
services or experts.
*Forward some overflow questions to VRD to be handled by VRD information
specialists.
*Assist with shaping standards in online Q and A.
VRD Consortium membership <http://vrd.org/AskA/index.html>

Benefits for patrons (students, parents, teachers, etc.):
*Questions are forwarded to the most appropriate experts.
*Reliable service: All questions receive responses from subject
specialists or general information specialists.
*Seamless transfer of original question, resulting in less waiting time.

Benefits for volunteers (school, public, academic librarians, MLS
students, subject experts):
*Practice with real reference questions
*Enhanced searching skills
*Collection development
*Professional development/contribution
*Intellectual challenge

If you have any questions regarding the Virtual Reference Desk Network,
please let me know!

Blythe Bennett


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                        Blythe Allison Bennett
		Virtual Reference Desk Network Coordinator
		    Information Institute of Syracuse
			  Syracuse University
                         blythe at ericir.syr.edu

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On Thu, 2 Nov 2000, Sloan, Bernie wrote:

> I'm interested in hearing about collaborative online/digital reference
> service projects (i.e., projects involving more than one library). Here are
> some examples. I'm sure there are more.
> 
> http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/digiref/cdrshome.html
> http://www.247ref.org/
> http://www.earl.org.uk/ask/
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Bernie Sloan
> Senior Library Information Systems Consultant
> University of Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
> 338 Henry Administration Building
> 506 S. Wright Street
> Urbana, IL  61801
> Phone:  (217) 333-4895
> Fax:      (217) 333-6355
> E-mail:  bernies at uillinois.edu