What to Help Shape the Future of the Collaborative Digital Referenc e Service?

[Stephen Coffman]

You've probably heard about the new Collaborative Digital Reference Service --- we are a group of libraries and librarians from around the world working together to develop world-class digital reference services on the Net.  We have over 100 members now, and they include libraries of all types from the large national libraries such as the Library of Congress and the British Library, academic libraries like Cornell and the University of Illinois, as well as public libraries of all shapes and sizes.   But that is not enough.   At CDRS, we take the word 'collaborative' very seriously --- and that is why we would like to hear from you --- the thousands of reference librarians, library directors, and others with an interest in digital reference who have not yet had an opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions on this critical issue.  

We would like invite all of you to join us for one of two live interactive sessions called "What Is It Worth to You:  The CRDS Interactive Sessions” that we will be holding during the ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco on Saturday, June 16th from 1:00-3:00 PST and again from 3:30-5:30 PST at the Holiday Inn Financial District, 750 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor: Chinese Culture Center.  

These sessions are sponsored by CDRS, the Library of Congress, LSSI Virtual Reference Services and OCLC, and will give you an opportunity to express your opinions on key issues using live real-time audience survey technology. Here's the way it will work.  We will first ask you to 'vote' on a series of questions regarding CDRS and various ways it might be packaged.  You will cast your vote using an electronic handset similar to those used in movie previews or by clicking on a Web form (more about that in a minute). Voting results will be tabulated and displayed immediately and then we can all discuss what they might mean.  

Now we really wanted to make sure that as many of you as possible had a chance to attend these sessions ... so if you will not be coming to ALA, you will still be able to attend a live, online version of the CDRS Interactive Sessions using LSSI's Virtual Reference Software.  The online sessions will also be 'broadcast' from the Holiday Inn and will take place at the same time as the live sessions.  You will be able to vote on the same questions the San Francisco audience is voting on and your results will also be tabulated and displayed in real time.  You will be able to ask questions of the presenters using live chat, and we've got some fast typists that will keep you up on the discussion taking place in the room. 

So, remember you now have two ways to participate ...  

1. If you will be coming to San Francisco, and would like to join us live 'in the flesh' at the Holiday Inn, click here to register for the session of your choice on the OCLC site.   https://www3.oclc.org/app/cdrs/ 

2. If you are not coming to San Francisco and would like to join us live and online click here to register on the LSSI site. http://www.lssi.com/virtual/cdrs/
  

No matter how you join us, we want to thank you for helping to shape the future of digital reference, and we are all looking forward to meeting you ... either in person, or online ... at the CDRS Interactive Sessions this June.



Sincerely,  


Your Colleagues at CDRS