by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
More than 100 public libraries all over Florida will celebrate the 2nd Annual “Ask a Librarian Day” tomorrow. It’s a way to bring awareness to a service that’s available free to anyone who has a question they’d like to have answered but aren’t sure where to begin.
“Ask a Librarian” is a service provided by the Florida Electronic Library and funded by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services. It began in December, 2003 and since then there have been more than 173,000 questions answered.
The Jacksonville Public Library joined the network in June 2006. The Main Library Downtown is the system’s research library and the center of operations for more than 60 local librarians and library associates who act as “chat agents.”
Senior Reference Librarian Michael Austin Shell said the service is available in two formats. Customers can e-mail questions and receive an answer via return e-mail, usually within 24 hours, or they can initiate a Web-based virtual reference session with a librarian who is trained to find the answers to questions. It’s all about customer service.
“A lot of customers use the service to get information, but they really don’t know what they want to know,” said Shell. “Sometimes the first step is a reference interview.”
By having access to every resource of a network of public, private and corporate libraries worldwide via the Internet, no information inquiry is beyond AAL’s capabilities.
“The answer to any question is probably out there – unless it’s a philosophical question – you just have to know how and where to find it. That’s where we come in,” said Shell.
All inquiries that come in through www.jpl.coj.net are handled through the Main Library. The service has become popular. Shell and the local AAL staff average 120 live chat customers and 140 e-mail questions per month.
The e-mail service is available 24 hours-a-day seven days-a-week while the interactive chat sessions are on-line at www.askalibrarian.org from 10 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Shell said JPL encourages everyone to take advantage of the service for school or work or if they just want to find an answer to a question that has been eluding them.
“Nothing makes librarians happier than helping customers find what they’re looking for,” he added.
For more information visit www.jpl.coj.net and click on “Ask a Librarian” on the home page under “Resources.”
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