This page provides resources to support the poster session Grassroots Virtual Reference Collaboration: The Ohio/Oregon Model presented on Saturday, June 26, 2010, at the American Library Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

ALA Poster

• Link to PDF of poster: provider.knowitnow.org/KINdocs/Grassroots_Virtual_Reference_Collaboration.pdf

Author Contact Information

• KnowItNow24x7 (KIN24x7): Ohio's statewide virtual reference (VR) service
  • Don Boozer, KIN24x7 Statewide Coordinator: support@knowitnow.org
  • Brian Leszcz, KIN24x7 Web Services Coordinator: support@knowitnow.org
• L-net: Oregon's statewide virtual reference service
  • Caleb Tucker-Raymond, L-net Project Coordinator: calebt@multcolib.org

SparkRef/Openfire

SparkRef/Openfire is the software platform used by both L-net and KIN24x7 to provide VR services to their users. SparkRef is based on Spark, an open source, cross-platform IM client from Ignite Realtime. Openfire is the XMPP server used to provide the back-end of Ohio and Oregon's VR services. The server is hosted at Cleveland Public Library. Software development on Spark was carried out by SourceN at the direction of L-net and KIN24x7 leading to the re-branding of the IM client as SparkRef by the two services. The following links provide a more in-depth look at the software.

• Training & Reference Manual for SparkRef (PDF)
• An Introduction to the SparkRef Virtual Reference Software: PowerPoint
• Broadcasting with SparkRef

SparkRef/Openfire at Work

• Local Service:
  • L-net Local: www.oregonlibraries.net/local
    • Information on providing local VR service and embedding L-net chat widgets
  • KIN24x7 "Local Queue" Option
• Statistical Reports:
  • KIN24x7 Example: Sessions Handled, May 2010
  • L-net Statistics Page
• Formatted Transcripts:
  • KIN24x7 Quality Reference Transactions booklet (Transcripts copied from printer-friendly transcript format posted online. Transcripts themselves are password-protected online)
  • L-net Conversation Archive

Partner Web Sites

• KnowItNow24x7: Based at Cleveland Public Library
  • Public portal to service: www.knowitnow.org
    • Provides access to librarians and public policy pages
  • Librarian portal: provider.knowitnow.org
    • Some information publicly accessible, some password-protected
    • Includes statistics, marketing materials, documentation, etc.
• L-net: Based at Multnomah County Library
  • www.oregonlibraries.net
    • Provides both public access to the service and information for librarians