Volume 3, No. 2

Coordinator's Corner: Serving Your Local Patrons in Real-Time

I wanted to make everyone aware of a new KIN24x7 option that is now available to libraries. Many libraries still have only an email and phone number to connect to librarians at their reference desks. KIN24x7 now has the ability to provide a customized link for a library's web site that will automatically route local patrons to local librarians in real-time during regular hours. After the library closes, patrons clicking on the same link would seamlessly be routed to other KIN24x7 libraries or AfterDark librarians. This is a way for libraries to:

• have their "own" virtual reference service for their patrons
• expand the library's service hours beyond closing time
• continue to be connected to Ohio's statewide virtual reference service

This also provides the ability of having anyone who enters a zip code for your library's service area at knowitnow.org to be routed to the library in their service area, thus providing more local service via the statewide network. Washington County Public Library was the first to implement this option, and others have expressed interest.

This new "local queue" provides an exciting new way for KIN24x7 to really be "a service of the State Library of Ohio and your local Ohio Public Library."

For more information on this development and how to implement it for your library, contact support@knowitnow.org. Click here for more details.

Don Boozer
KnowItNow24x7 Coordinator

Statistics: July 2009

This month, we take a look at where KIN24x7 users are coming from. The following list is the top 20 libraries whose patrons initiated sessions on the service in July. Typically, July is a slower month (i.e., school is out), but this list is similar to ones in "busier" months as well. Current KIN24x7 answering libraries are denoted by an asterisk:

For a complete list of sessions initiated by library, click here. To find out who handled all these sessions in July, go to this page.

ONLINE RESOURCES OF THE MONTH: Federal Government Documents Websites

The federal government provides some of the most authoritative and well organized informational sites on the Internet. Nearly all federal government agencies have their own websites. If you know which agency is responsible for the information you seek, you may want to start with the federal agency’s website. However, the federal government has created clearinghouses information that include information from several government agencies.

If you are looking for information about campsites at state and federal parks anywhere in the country, check out Recreation.gov. Has someone asked you for a federal government form? Try Forms.gov. Forms.gov is a clearinghouse for federal government forms, regardless of agency. Need help with managing your money or getting the facts about credit issues, please review MyMoney.gov. Looking for up-to-date information about the health concerns of women, Womenshealth.gov covers everything from exercise and fitness to breast cancer and migraine headaches.

You can start a search for federal government information by searching Google. Federal government websites will be included in your search, but you can narrow your search to just federal government websites by going to www.google.com/unclesam. Below is a quick overview of a few of the websites that you may want to keep in your favorities:

USA.gov – To find information about government agencies and services, you may want to navigate the web directory USA.gov. Organized by subject, USA.gov is a simple intuitive way to explore agency websites and databases. The “Get It Done Online!” section provides links to government auctions, government jobs, and student aid, as well as locators for congressmen, colleges, federal prisoners, and doctors and dentists and a whole lot more.

GPOAccess.gov and FDsys.gov – Created and maintained by the Government Printing Office, GPOAccess.gov is the official website for government publications. If you need to locate an executive order, bill, law, regulation or recent Supreme Court case, GPOAccess.gov can get you pointing and clicking in the right direction. GPOAccess.gov allows searching across multiple databases, which can save time and provide quick insight when no citations are available. A more advanced digital system for managing, disseminating, and preserving federal government information is FDsys.gov. Although collections continue to be migrated to FDsys.gov, it has not yet reached the stage where it replaces GPOAccess.gov.

Bensguide.gpo.gov – this fun website is simple, easy to use, and informative. Information is grouped by grade level. Games and fun activities are included. Topics covered include American history, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, citizenship and the federal government. For eighth grade and under, students may also find interesting web links at the official government website for kids - Kids.gov.

Science.gov – Science.gov provides authoritative information on science and technology users can access over 40 databases. Searchers can access nearly 2,000,000 web pages filled with scientific information in a single search. Databases include features like Boolean searching, fielded searching, and relevancy ranking. Science.gov adds value to searches by clustered results around meaningful topics. A free alert service allows searchers to receive email updates to complex searches.

Next time you're on the information superhighway, please give the federal government express lane a try.

If you have an online resource for any subject that you'd like to share with your KIN24x7 colleagues, post it at provider.knowitnow.org/node/352. You'll just need to login to the Provider page. Feel free to simply post links, a link and short description, or a link and full review of your resource. We'll highlight selected ones from the list here in this column in upcoming editions of the newsletter. Also, KIN24x7 agents are welcome to check out (or contribute to) the KIN24x7 AfterDark Wiki at http://afterdark.knowitnow.org/wiki/.

Don't Forget Your KINwear!

Our store at CafePress is always open. You can buy golf shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, "thinking caps," and even teddy bears with the KnowItNow24x7 logo on them. KnowItNow was the first virtual reference service available 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week anywhere and YOU are a part of that! At your next conference, workshop, or meeting, don your KIN24x7-wear with pride and say, "Why, yes, I am a KnowItNow24x7 agent." (They're great for gifts as well!)

KnowItNow24x7 Staff

Don Boozer, KnowItNow24x7 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!

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.

If you or your friends would like to sign-up for KnowItNow24x7 updates, just go to updates.knowitnow.org and click on Sign up for the latest KnowItNow news.