The ACT Public Library Online Information

The ACT Public Library is expanding online services and aim to provide:

• Learning pathways to facilitate and aid lifelong learning goals
• Real time online tutoring service - Live Homework HelpDigital literacy training
• Facilities enabling users to become self sufficient online
• Electronic communication of library notices
• More provision of download/uploading via technology – CD, DVD, USB
• e-book and upload capabilities onto MP3 players and iPods

These new and extended services are a result of user demand and expectations, continuing developments in ICT, and because of their new library management system, which targets electronic service delivery (Hyland 2006).

Benefits that these developments will bring in terms of service delivery include:

Remote access to new and traditional services.
This makes the library more accessible to more users. Already mentioned in other posts on this blog is the developing preference for online rather than traditional library services (August 17). It also follows the idea of going where your users are, triggering more online services and advances towards library 2.0 (Grossman 2006).

Clients are more independent.
Allowing users to track and conduct transactions, search for more information and make suggestions. Movements to improve user information literacy and a goal to foster lifelong learning will result in greater user independence.

Users want to be more independent, creating the seamless ‘information sphere’ (Thomas & McDonald 2005) that the Net Generation expect can help to facilitate this. Movements towards more ‘Library 2.0’ user centred technology are providing this independence.

An online suggestion for a purchase facility led to re-evaluation of collection development (Hyland 2006). This is a direct result of more user input, and the benefit is that the collection can become more oriented towards user needs and requirements.

More standardised reference service.
Often there are standard procedures or policies for online reference (Liplow 2003, Coffman 2004, Janes & Hill 2002) and there are often online reference forms for users which minimises reference interview questions, making faster more accurate answers.

The ACT Public Library has an Ask-A-Question facility, however it is a very basic request form. In the future, this may be an area they will need to develop further.

Online user requests can build up a knowledge base of questions answered. This base can subsequently be provided for users to search (example AWM). It also provides the librarians with stored questions and answers which can be reused, used for training purposes, or for evaluative purposes.

Increased technological knowledge of staff.
Staff will gain more experience and knowledge of ever advancing technology, and will be kept to speed with new developments as they arise. This will also put them in a position for assessing these developments for the future.

References:

Coffman, S & Arret, L 2004, 'To chat or not to chat: Taking yet another look at virtual reference, Part 2', Searcher, September 2004, available at http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/sep04/arret_coffman.shtml

Grossman, D 2007, ‘Internet librarian 2006: 10 years old and going strong’, Searcher, vol.15, no.2, pp45-50

Hyland, M 2006, ‘ACT Public Library Online Information Services', Incite, 2006 no.3, available at http://alia.org.au/publishing/incite/2006/03/print.html?ID=25

Janes, J & Hill, C 2002, 'Finger on the pulse: Librarians describe evolving reference practice in an increasingly digital world', Reference and User Services Quarterly, vol.42, no.1, pp.54-65

Liplow, AG 2003, 'Transfer what you know to what you do', in The virtual reference librarian's handbook, Library Solutions Press, Berkley, CA & Neal-Schuman, London & New York, pp.53-75

Thomas, C, & McDonald, RH 2005, ‘Millennial Net Value(s): Disconnects between Libraries and the Information Age Mindset’, available at http://dscholarship.lib.fsu.edu/general/4