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In the SW we use a shared website www.cyberlibrary.org.uk hosted by Plymouth City Libraries, to bring together information in the region on all the online resources available to library users in their own authority. SWRLS has paid for flyers promoting the site, which double up as a simple joining form, which are widely distributed, including via FE colleges, some of whom have included them in their induction packs for new students. For ideas on promotion, it is also always worth contacting the resource suppliers who will often provide free posters etc as well as holding training sessions which provide ideas for increasing usage. As MLA and Arts Council England have, I believe, just posted a tender notice for a third Framework Agreement for Reference Online content for English public libraries, it would be nice to think that promotion would be one of the requirements? Lynn Osborne Director, SWRLS Website: www.swrls.org.uk -----Original Message----- From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ken Chad Sent: 31 August 2011 12:02 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: National reference resources and national catalogue Thanks David Thanks for unpicking the complexity... The Guardian article (on online resources) reported that: 'Two years ago Brown's team ran a mystery shopping exercise in Enfield and found that about 30% of the library staff had no idea what was available or did not know how to find it, and some did not even realise that users only needed their library card numbers to access the information.' I'd be surprised if Enfield was unique-- so to answer your question 'where do we go from here?' it seems addressing that issue would be a good place to start. Maybe a couple of other 'next steps' could be..... (1) If 30% of *library* staff don’t know I guess perhaps what...90% (more?) of the public don’t know. So how about identifying the coverage of maybe just one or two widely understood (by the public) resources (Britannica and OED?). That should be easy. It looks to me that a very high percentage (80%?) of the UK population has free access to these resources through their local (doesn't have to be a national service per se) library entitlement. (2) Find out about the public awareness of this resource...What percentage of the public know they can access those resources for free? I'd be happy to help out on (1) by setting up an open to all, simple to edit table on LGLibTech. Maybe some people could help gather the data? Maybe (2) has already been done? Anyone know? I asked a few (ok actually 6) people this morning when I was out and about in my local High Street *Nobody* knew they had free access entitlement. A couple were truly *amazed* and delighted this was provided free by the library. In times when libraries are doing all they can to publicise their value to communities this seems such a simple and effective message ... Ken Ken Chad Consulting Ltd Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. Email: [log in to unmask] www.kenchadconsulting.com Skype: kenchadconsulting Twitter: @KenChad Open Library Systems Specifications: http://libtechrfp.wikispaces.com -----Original Message----- From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Tanner Sent: 31 August 2011 10:35 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: National reference resources and national catalogue Hi Ken The situation, as you would expect is complex. We (public libraries) subscribe to what we can afford. There are various online resources that my authority does not subscribe to, not because they aren't any good, or wouldn't be used but because we don't have the funds. When online resources started to become available we like many others switched funding from hard copy to online (eg Britannica). But you eventually reach the point where your budget can't support any more online resources without a massive injection of funding - not going to happen in the present climate. Some authorities have already unsubscribed from Britannica due to poor usage and low usage of online sources is a concern. There is also the thorny issue of who has remote access to what nationally. In theory we have the nascent basis of a national library membership (the SCL scheme). In practice most of our online sources (including eBooks) are required to be geographically restricted to "our" users (go define!). I have anecdotal evidence of members of local family history/local history groups finding backdoor ways to join other library authorities to use the online resources they provide and we do not. So.... where do we go from here? -- David Tanner Manager: Stock and Systems Adult and Community Services (Information) North Yorkshire County Council Library HQ 21 Grammar School Lane Northallerton North Yorkshire DL6 1DF Tel: 01609 533814 Fax: 01609 780793 email: [log in to unmask] At the moment I am reading "Any Human Heart" by William Boyd. >>> On 31/08/2011 at 10:10 am, in message <030d01cc67bd$ce393fc0$6aabbf40$@com>, Ken Chad <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > The Guardian has picked up the (somewhat old news) about the combined > Regions/OCLC UK national catalogue initiative > http://lglibtech.wikispaces.com/National+Catalogue. It set me thinking about > national access to online *reference* resources > > > > The (already in existence) *Welsh* National Catalogue -'Cat Cymru' -also > includes links to online reference resources. Looking at individual UK > library websites it seems most (all?) have free online access to some great > resources such as Encyclopaedia Britannica, OED and lots more. > > Does anyone know what percentage of the UK population has free online access > to say Britannica? Is it universal for UK public libraries to offer this? > Have I missed this data? Do CILIP, MLA, CyMAL, SLIC know? Have any of the > library campaigns been promoting the fact that libraries give *everyone* (or > whatever the statistic is) free online access to......' Have I missed that? > Maybe this information is something we could share in the Local Government > Library Technology (LGLibTech) wiki? > > > > An article in the Guardian back in may reported on Enfield's work to promote > these resources > > 'Enfield boosts digital reference role. London borough has trained staff to > increase public's use of online reference sources'. By Mark Say Guardian > Professional 25 May 2011 > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/government-computing-network/2011/may/25/enfield-d > igital-refence-library-staff-training-increases-usage > > > > It reported: 'Most local authorities now have a portfolio of digital > reference sources, most coming at a cost beyond the pockets of the regular > library user, but there is evidence that they are not widely used. Brown > says that over the past five years the Enfield Library Service has built up > a range of digital resources - including encyclopaedias, the legal database > LexisNexis Butterworths and the Lexis Direct business information database - > but several were not being widely used. In some cases there were less than > 100 searches a year on resources that cost thousands of pounds, which was > poor value for money' > > > > Is that situation general? > > > > Ken > > Ken Chad Consulting Ltd > > Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. 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