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May 4, 2006
Print vs. Online Resources
Many thanks to Lisa Coats of the Burlington County Library System for her notes on this session!
At this session, there were three panelists who spoke on various aspects of the future of online reference resources.
David Lisa, Director of West Long Branch Public Library (http://www.wlbpl.org/), detailed the trends explaining that reference resources are increasingly being delivered electronically. He says that electronic versions of popular reference sources are often cheaper, easier to update, and can be more effectively accessed by customers. Remote access is also a plus since a patron can use these resources any time of day or night, not just during library hours. He referenced Q and A NJ (http://www.qandanj.org/), a virtual tool that brings reference services directly to the customer via a live chat session, and said that this sort of resource will prove to be more popular in the future.
Jennifer Druce of Camden County Library System (http://www.camden.lib.nj.us/) spoke to the cost effectiveness of electronic resources. She asked some very good questions about what users want and need, implying that we should be listening to them to help guide us in our reference choices. She pointed out that often distributors do not even offer the print versions of sources anymore (asking: are print directories dead??), but stresses that it is important to make sure the electronic versions are stable before tossing the print out. Also, does the library have room for all those volumes in print? Space considerations may move us toward electronic resources, as well.
Karen Parry of the East Brunswick Public Library (http://www.ebpl.org/) said that we need to say good bye to print! Our users are changing constantly, and since good service is in the eye of the customer, and that they are requesting the quick access that electronic sources can provide, we must abide. She says that even older patrons want to learn how to use these online sources. Parry suggests we also move off the desk and help customers in the stacks and at the computers, a theme that was echoed in several other sessions this NJLA: Off the desk, out into the library, and definitely on the computer!
Posted by at May 4, 2006 12:39 PM
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