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Volume 3, No. 11

Coordinator's Corner: Introducing PECK

The hot topic of conversation about KnowItNow24x7 recently has been the consolidation of the subject queues into one. A number of great questions have been asked, and we have attempted to respond to each of these on the Provider site (see here, here, and here). More information will be forthcoming as we approach June 1, the date set for implementation of this change.

One of the recurring concerns seems to be where to find resources for subjects for which someone is not overly familiar? To address this issue, we will be creating a place on the Provider site where librarians from any KIN24x7-participating library can share their expertise with colleagues in the form of "pathfinders" or subject guides. There are numerous pathfinders (and introductions to them) available online to provide an idea of the concept: IPL2 Pathfinders, subject guides from Camden County Library System, an example of Pathfinder format from the University of Oklahoma, a brief introduction to pathfinders from Dr. William Robinson, and the State Library of Iowa Pathfinder Project to name just a few. These examples will also serve to begin to expand librarians' professional skills while KIN24x7's own Pathfinder Project is gaining momentum. To find out how contributing to the KIN24x7 Pathfinder Project will work, check out the KnowItNow24x7 Pathfinder Manual posted at the Provider site under Documentation or click here.

The KIN24x7 pathfinders will be in the form of an online "book" with each "page" being devoted to a specific subject area. These pages are envisioned to be not just lists of web links, but concise aids to serving patrons in a variety of subject areas. They will, of course, include free Internet resources - possibly the two to five best ones - but also recommended statewide databases, search strategies, questions to ask patrons, etc.

Pathfinder content will be:

  • Collaborative: Any librarian from any KIN24x7-participating library, large or small, will be able to contribute their expertise.
  • Able to be revised, corrected, and amended: Instructions for contributing content to pathfinders is available in the KnowItNow24x7 Pathfinder Manual.
  • Ohio-centric: Information will concentrate on resources specific to Ohio libraries as much as this is possible and applicable.

As part of this process, a new KIN24x7 committee will be formed to take the lead in managing and creating the pathfinders' content: the Pathfinder Editorial Committee for KnowItNow24x7, aka PECK. PECK members will be primarily charged with:

  • Moderating new content (both new subject pages as well as revisions to existing pages) to maintain style, format, and quality. A basic understanding of HTML tags is preferable for PECK members but is not required.
  • Encouraging KIN24x7 librarians, either individually or collectively, to contribute content to the pathfinders.
  • Creating content in their own areas of expertise.

If you are interested in being one of the founding volunteer members of PECK, send an email (including subject areas in which you have some knowledge or experience) to support@knowitnow.org. This invitation is open to anyone who currently serves patrons on KIN24x7 as a public, academic, special, or AfterDark librarian. The goal is to have a cross-section of providers represented on PECK (both in type of library serving in and subject expertise), and PECK membership will be limited to six librarians. This number has worked well for KIN24x7's existing committee, QuACK, and also allows for flexibility in delegating duties. Membership in PECK will be for two years (with Chairperson terms being three years), similar to both QuACK as well as OLC committees. The founding volunteers will not only be trained in the workflow of creating and approving content but will also have a strong voice in shaping the pathfinder concept itself. A special edition of the Pathfinder manual with additional content will be distributed to PECK members. These volunteers will also serve as local trainers and contacts for those librarians wanting to contribute content to the Pathfinder Project.

As has been mentioned previously, the consolidation of the subject queues may appear dramatic, but it comes with many benefits. This opportunity to pool the collected expertise of KIN24x7 librarians is just one of them.

Don Boozer
KnowItNow24x7 Coordinator

A Sampling of KIN24x7 Patron Survey Comments from April 2010

The following are samples of constructive criticism and kudos from the Patron Surveys from April. KIN24x7 librarians: Remember that you really do make a difference. Keep up the great work! People take the time to sincerely thank you for your efforts, but they are also frank about their experiences. Comments are posted below exactly as they were entered by the patrons:

Constructive Criticism (with editorial comments)

  • YES! I went through at least 3 different libraries (I had to change the ZIP Code several times) before I got any sort of response AT ALL from the librarians. I was told I was being transferred twice, and after over 10 minutes nothing happened so I disconnected. The first librarian I came into contact with didn't even respond to me at all. However, the last one I just finished talking with was extremely helpful!
    • Commentary: This kind of customer service (or lack of it) is troubling on a number of levels. The patron came in on a Thursday afternoon around 1pm, so there should have been several libraries monitoring the service. The issue with the transferring will be alleviated with the consolidation of the subject queues. The question itself had to do with the comparison of the value of 1930 dollars with contemporary dollars. A good source for this would be data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • The librarians use wikipedia here. I am not sure if that is a reliable source!?
    • Commentary: The patron's question was "Did Samuel Adams have any kids? If so, what were their names?". The librarian shared the Wikipedia article on Adams. The patron asked, "Are you sure it is accurate? I have heard that wikipedia isn't a very good research source." To which the librarian replied, "Studies have found Wikipedia to be as reliable as other sources, including the major encyclopedias. Many librarians providing this service heartily endorse it." Saying "...heartily endorse" may be a little strong. The patron came back with, "Ok. Thank you. But I am still wondering, I have found that Adams Had 12, 2, and 3 children. I am not sure which one is correct. But I will try Wikipedia. Thank you very much. Have a good day.Bye :)". This would have been a perfect opportunity to say a little more about Wikipedia, dig a little deeper to resolve the patron's confustion on the number of children, and then provide another source.
  • I had already seen the articles provided. Was hoping for more suggestions or resoures.
    • Commentary: The patron's question was "What happen to Jimmy Bodak after meeting Edgar Allen? What was his handicap? Did he recover? What did he do as an adult?" This is a difficult question. Go ahead and Google "Jimmy Bodak" to see that he is a pivotal figure in Edgar Allen's life, but biographical information is hard-to-come-by. Maybe a newspaper or magazine search? Any ideas on other resources? Feel free to post a comment below.
  • he ended the conversation when i wasn't done and i was talkinng to him! it was very rude i will NEVER use this again.
  • dont exit out as soon as you give a few links!!!
  • Yes, my librarian just left the conversation!
  • She/he rushed me through the question. I didnt get an answer, and when I was looking over the yellowpages givin they ended the session, which only was about 2 minutes scanning pages. That seemed pretty rude.
    • Commentary: Actually, the patron said "i was exploring yellow pages" at 22:26:31. The librarian asked if they needed anything else at 22:27:05, and then logged off at 22:27:28...less than a minute since the last message had been sent from the patron.

Kudos (Agent who helped the patron is in italics)

  • Thanks for being there . . . the consultation is awesome. (ad.alex)
  • I did not know this service was available. It is a very valuable tool to have. (chancellor4 - Chancellor University)
  • i am happy that they have such a service it makes things easier and save me driving time. great service (amyf - Bowling Green State University)
  • Keep up the good work, you have a great staff!! (sharon - Bowling Green State University)
  • This libraian was very kind and helped me find my information quickly and it was very useful. I would always recomend this site. (Librarian03 - Cleveland Public Library)
  • ad.misha helped me a lot she or he is VERY helpful! (AfterDark)
  • Its a great service. I should have called at 7pm last night when I was struggling. I would rather not see the face of person in the corner my screen. This would be too eerie. Keep the service the way it is. I felt I got 'one-on-one' assistance. (ad.noah - AfterDark)
  • I think librain helped me with the information i was loking for and anwserd them very well. I would like to use more often. (Librarian28 - Columbus Metropolitan Library)
  • YOU GUYS ARE LIFE SAVORS! (ad.ian - AfterDark)
  • This service was VERY helpful. I couldn't locate the proper way to cite notes published online for a speech given in 2002. I needed APA format. I was looking at Purdue OWL, but I looked under the wrong source-type. The librarian was VERY helpful and helped me figure out which format to use. THANKS! (ad.andie - AfterDark)
  • i just kind of found this website our teacher gave us the info ohio website so i was looking for information, ad.connor helped me and gave me some extremely helpful websites with exactly what i needed on them.......i really enjoyed this website because i actually got to talk to a real person, it was a really cool expierence....connor was very nice and cool and answered all my questions....i will definately be back, the help was excellent (ad.connor - AfterDark)
  • This program has helped me a lot through out finding information about my research paper.This is an out standing program that is awesome. (Librarian30 - Columbus Metropolitan Library)
  • my librarian was awesome! He knew exactly what he was doing and where to go to find things. (Ryan - Columbus State Community College)
  • I very much enjoyed my librarian because Librarian116 did not give me the answer directly but helpd me figure it out because I had 8 questions and my librarian helped me very much! (Geauga County Public Library)
  • I am grateful for this program. I am a stay at home mom and I cannot always bring my children to columbus state library because of their restlessness; or to the public library because of time limitations on the computers. Here i can be on my computer as long as i wish and my children can play or just be them selves without restrictions. Thank you for you guys services. (ad.oliveo - AfterDark)
  • Some of the people are more helpful than others i could say that and some are very VERY helpful.Over all though i think this is a great service and i will most definitely come back for more help. I greatly enjoy this service:) (Librarian133 - Cuyahoga County Public Library, North Royalton)
  • It looks like a great service! I just had a general library use question but can see how valuable and convenient this service could be. Keep up the great work! I love that you are there and never mind paying the taxes for the wonderful service! (Librarian28 - Columbus Metropolitan Library)
  • Thanks, you have a very nice system with extremely knowledgeable and helpful people. (rmclaugh - Muskingum College)
  • Maryc was very very helpful!! (Shawnee State University)

(Remember, if you are a KnowItNow24x7 librarian, you can sign up for an account on the Provider site to access all transcripts and survey comments.)

Reminder: QuACK Blog and Booklet

This is a reminder for librarians to check out the blog of the Quality Assurance Committee for KnowItNow24x7, aka QuACK, at provider.knowitnow.org/blog/617. You'll find Transcripts and Emails of the Month, "Second" Look Transcripts, and minutes from Committee meetings. The QuACK members encourage use of the information posted there as a professional development tool for reference librarians.

The transcripts of the month posted from July 2009 through March 2010 have been collected in a booklet entitled KnowItNow24x7 Quality Reference Transactions 2009-2010. The booklet will be distributed to State Library of Ohio Board members as part of the LSTA application process for the 2010-2011 grant year and is also available online as a PDF file. The publication will provide Ohio librarians and stakeholders a fuller picture of the work of KnowItNow24x7 librarians and also serve as an educational asset for reference staff training.

Statistics: April 2010 Top 25

Below are the Top 25 KIN24x7 "Answering" institutions or organizations for April 2010 (i.e., those who handled patrons' sessions on the service):

Institution/Organization Total Sessions Handled
Total for NEO-RLS 3511
Total for Cleveland Public Library 1921
Total for Cuyahoga County Public Library 586
Total for Columbus Metropolitan Library 190
Total for Akron-Summit County Public Library 143
Total for Logan County District Library 81
Total for Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County 77
Total for Worthington Libraries 59
Total for University of Cincinnati 55
Total for Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County 50
Total for Medina County District Library 49
Total for KnowItNow24x7 volunteeers 43
Total for Lane Public Library 42
Total for Mansfield/Richland County Public Library 41
Total for Bowling Green State University 40
Total for Ohio Wesleyan University 36
Total for Columbus State Community College 35
Total for Greene County Public Library 35
Total for Ashtabula County District Library 32
Total for Birchard Public Library 32
Total for Sinclair Community College 32
Total for Lorain Public Library System 31
Total for Euclid Public Library 30
Total for Owens Community College 29
Total for Clark County Public Library 27

For those libraries not currently serving patrons on KIN24x7, there are a number of options now for participating in Ohio's statewide virtual reference service that bring benefits for librarians and patrons. For more information, feel free to email the KIN24x7 Coordinator at support@knowitnow.org.

As always, the contribution of every librarian providing service through KnowItNow24x7 is greatly appreciated. You are what makes Ohio's statewide virtual reference service possible. Thank you!

ONLINE RESOURCES OF THE MONTH: Birthdays

In light of the fact that Mother's Day (Sunday, May 9, 2010) is this month, here are several birthday anniversaries in May (with thanks to their mothers):

This is just a sample of this month's birthdays of historical (and contemporary) persons. Use your imagination (and your print and online resources) to find those that would make for interesting displays at your library.

(If you are a KIN24x7 librarian, feel free to post suggested online resources here.)

New Logo at Cafe Press

The new logo is now available at KIN24x7's Cafe Press site. The KnowItNow24x7 logo was redesigned in December 2009 by Kristin Klatka, a graphic designer at Euclid (Ohio) Public Library. So, celebrate your participation in or support for Ohio's statewide reference service and wear your KnowItNow24x7 merchandise proudly! (Note: All merchandise is sold at cost. Due to a number of reasons, KIN24x7 does not receive proceeds from Cafe Press sales.)

KnowItNow24x7 Staff

Don Boozer, KnowItNow24x7 Statewide Coordinator
Brian Leszcz, KnowItNow24x7 Web Services Coordinator
Noah Himes, KnowItNow24x7 AfterDark Coordinator
Megan Mitchell, OhioLINK Liaison and Reference Librarian, Oberlin College
...and KnowItNow24x7 agents across Ohio like Wendy Ensor at Orrville Public Library!

The KnowItNow24x7 Newsletter highlights news, resources, and statistics for providers and fans of Ohio's 24x7 virtual reference service. Email your comments, questions, advice, helpful resources, and other contributions to support@knowitnow.org.