INFOhio will be unveiling a set of online learning modules on the 21 Essential Things for Ohio teachers and school library media specialists on February 1, 2010. Included in the "21 Essential Things" will be a section on KnowItNow24x7, and users of the module will be encouraged to "test drive" the service.

To streamline this process, the KIN24x7 Coordinator was asked to provide both a "canned" question for participants to ask as well as a "canned" response for KIN24x7 librarians to send. The question you may see from users of the learning modules will be (or be close to):

Hello, I'm working on the INFOhio "21 Essential Things" module and am trying out the KnowItNow24x7 service. Could you please respond and show me how the service works?

The canned reply (which KIN24x7 librarians (including AfterDark) can find in their KnowItNow24x7 Canned Responses under "INFOhio 21 Things") is:

We're glad you're testing our service out before using it with your students. As you can see, we can chat in this text box, and I can share web pages the same way. For example, here is the INFOhio webpage - http://www.infohio.org . If you entered your email when you logged in, you'll also receive a message containing a copy of our conversation after we're finished. You and your students are welcome to use this service anytime. In fact, it is funded by a federal LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio and is made available at no charge to all Ohio citizens. To find out more, feel free to check out our "About" page at http://www.knowitnow.org/about.php . Is there anything else I can help with today?

Of course, librarians are encouraged to interact with the module users, but INFOhio staff felt this "canned" conversation would help everyone to simply get a taste of the service without requiring participants to each think of an individual question to ask and reply with which to respond.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the KIN24x7 Coordinator at support@knowitnow.org.