ALA Midwinter discussion on interactive reference

[George Porter]

[Cross-posted to several listservs.  Please excuse any duplication.]

American Library Association Midwinter Meeting

MARS Hot Topics Discussion Group

"One More Cup of Coffee...": After-Hours Reference Service
Using Web Chat and Contact Center Technologies.

When? Saturday, January 13, 2000, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where? Renaissance Washington Hotel, Renaissance B

The real-time interactivity of Web chat and features of Web
contact center software such as pushing web pages and guiding
patrons through complex database searching can help librarians
provide quality reference service to remote users. But remote
use of digital resources isn't limited to the hours library reference
desks are normally staffed.

Join Susan McGlamery, Metropolitan Cooperative Library
System 24/7 Reference Project, and Paul Constantine, Head,
Reference Services, Cornell University Libraries, to discuss how
both public and academic librarians can best use these new and
powerful technologies to meet patrons' round-the-clock
reference needs.

Chair: Linda Keiter, lkeiter at library.utah.edu
Co-Chair: George Porter, george at library.caltech.edu


George S. Porter
Sherman Fairchild Library of Engineering & Applied Science
Caltech, 1-43
Pasadena, CA  91125-4300
Telephone (626) 395-3409 Fax (626) 431-2681