Live Online Meeting to Recap Virtual Reference Programs at ALA Midwinter

[Stephen Coffman]

Friends and colleagues

This is for all of you virtual reference librarians out there 
 and those of you who are interested in becoming one.   We know you can’t all be here in New Orleans, as much as you might want to be – the temperature is a balmy 65 degrees, the food’s wonderful and the people are friendly --- and they are having some interesting programs about virtual reference at ALA Midwinter.  Now, we’re sorry, but there is not too much we can do to bring you the food (nothing like a soggy beignet, right?), or the weather 
 but we don’t think you should have to miss out on the information too.  So here’s what we’re going to do.

We are going to send two of our intrepid librarian reporters out to attend several of the more interesting presentation and then report back to you all on what was said and done here .  

Michelle Fiander, one of the world’s most experienced virtual reference librarians and manager of LSSI’s 24/7 Web Reference Center will be attending “We Deliver! Bringing Live Reference to Our Users" which features the following speakers:  Matt Marsteller, Carnegie Mellon University, Nancy O'Neill, Santa Monica Public Library, and Susan Wolf Neilson, North Carolina State University, discussing their experiences in choosing a virtual reference product.  It is sponsored by the RUSA MARS Products & Services Committee

And Kay Henshall, LSSI’s Head Trainer, and another virtual reference librarian par excellence, will be attending  “Care and Feeding of the Virtual Librarian" Discussion Forum on Training and Support of Chat Reference Staff” which is described as “While enthusiastically embracing new and emerging virtual reference technologies, how do we help librarians make the transition and how do we ensure quality service?”  It is sponsored by the MARS Education, Training and Support and Managers of Electronic Reference Services committees. 

Both Kay and Michelle will be reporting back to you in an open online meeting that we’re calling Live from New Orleans --- which will be held Monday, January 21 at 2 pm Central (that’s 3 pm Eastern, 1 pm Mountain, and 12 noon Pacific).  Kay and Michelle will begin by sharing some of the more important points from both of these programs, and then we will open it up to a general discussion among everybody online.   

So join us on Monday, January 21st for Live From New Orleans 
 and see if you agree with what your colleagues are saying down here 
 and what you might be able to add to it.  To join this special live online meeting, simply go to www.lssi.com/virtual and click on the Live from New Orleans button, then follow instructions for logging on to the Live From New Orleans 
 We hope to see you all there.  And for those of you who can't make it, a full transcript of the meeting will be posted on the Web shortly after we wrap it up.  


Virtually yours,  

SC
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