Hi
This will be of interest to those libraries looking at or using 'proper'
virtual/digital reference services such as the 'Ask a Librarian'
schemes set up by EARL (for public libraries) and by OCLC
(QuestionPoint).
Leaving silly stunts like Google Researcher aside for a minute, is any
one out there using virtual reference services?
Alain
Alain Besson
Information Skills Librarian
St Bartholomew's and the Royal London
School of Medicine and Dentistry
(Queen Mary, University of London)
Whitechapel Library
Turner Street
LONDON E1 2AD
UK
Tel: +44(0)20 7882 7121
Fax: +44(0)20 7882 7113
Email: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 08:34:45 +0100
> From: "Wentz, Reinhard" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Google Researcher Replacing Librarians?
>
> Dear All,
>
> Karen Albert on Medlib-L today mentions an article in 'Information
> Today' on Google's new service designed to invite any question which
> will then be answered by one of a team of researchers at Google:
>
> http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb020422-3.htm
>
> The beta version of this service and a few sample questions can be seen
> at
>
> https://answers.google.com/answers/main
>
>
> The Google Answers Researchers Training Manual, with more details, Do's
> and Dont's, more sample questions with answers, a style manual etc. can
> be seen at
>
> https://answers.google.com/answers/researchertraining.html
>
> An archive of all questions and answers is planned.
>
> All very interesting (not so new in the area of 'health on the web':
> there are enough sites where a patient can leave his/her symptoms and
> then get a diagnosis and medical advice from a doctor), but as a general
> service?
>
> A chance for a spot of moonlighting (income passed on to our respective
> employing institutions? Check some of the answers and then deride (or
> learn) from them? Feel threatened by it (as a reference librarian)? Join
> other reference librarians and set up a competing service?
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Reinhard
>
>
> Reinhard Wentz,
> IC LIS, London
>
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