Volume 2, No. 7

Coordinator's Corner: Something New for the New Year

Welcome to 2009! This year has a number of initiatives and events planned for it. I would like to take this opportunity to outline one in particular that will be new for existing as well as potential KIN24x7 providers.

Has your library been considering instant messaging (IM) as a way for your patrons to contact you, but you didn't have the time or money to devote to choosing or implementing a software platform? KnowItNow24x7 has a solution!

Caleb Tucker-Raymond, L-net's Project Coordinator, has shared links to several screencasts, videos, and blog entries that may be helpful for Ohio agents. Enjoy...

This is just a reminder on what to do if you receive a question on KnowItNow24x7 that sounds as if someone is in danger, depressed, or suicidal. Librarians are not trained as social workers or psychologists, but they are sometimes the people patrons turn to in order to find out where to turn for help. Some patrons may also bring up situations that are just meant to elicit a response from librarians. Any situation that is potentially dangerous should be addressed. If the patron is "joking," they will most likely say so (eventually). However, if the reverse is true and the patron does happen to be in need of help, virtual reference librarians should perform the same reference triage as they would in-person. Section VI.D. of the KIN24x7 Provider Handbook outlines some basic procedures that each agent should be aware of...

http://www.whitmanarchive.org/
The Walt Whitman Archive

http://tweentribune.com/

TweenTribune -- news for tweens, by tweens -- was started as a way for the creator's daughter to find easy-to-use websites with timely information for doing regular reports on current events, especially science.

The following reminders and updates address several current issues. The KnowItNow24x7 Provider Handbook is available under Documentation.

Picking Up Patrons

The Ohio Web Library now supports phrase searching when the phrase is enclosed in quotes similar to Google and other search engines. For example, if you search on a phrase without quotes, like:

Stephen Hedges
Executive Director
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)

When technical issues arise with KnowItNow24x7, agents are strongly encouraged to contact KIN24x7 Technical Support. All of the phone numbers and email addresses are available under Contact Us at the top of the left-hand column. Login is required, so if you do not have an account for the Provider site, you are urged to create one. Simply click on "Create New Account" under User Login. This also gives you access to more resources here at the site.

Emily Papagni, L-net Partner Support Librarian, has provided some useful information to keep in mind when serving Oregon patrons. If an Oregon patron asks for an earlier chat transcript, the librarian needs to be certain that it's the same patron. The email addresses used for both the request and the transcript must match exactly to send a transcript. L-net's privacy policy is available here.