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REFERENCE ONLINE: The absence of more comment from public library leaders prompts me to write. OK, so it doesn't take much! From memory . Reference Online, as it was branded, resulted from the incredible foresight and energy of Susi Woodhouse and colleagues at LIC/MLA some years back. She negotiated with suppliers a reasonably-priced package of online resources available to library authorities in England. Suppliers were very cooperative and shared the excitement in the vision of public libraries providing access to electronic reference works. Not only were they constructive negotiators but they also invested in promotion. There was great take up and most authorities selected a significant number of resources from the "menu". This represented the seminal change in library provision set out in the People's Network strategy and essential for the future public library. This is also why I asked on-list recently, when colleagues talked of "charging for the Internet" if this, itself negative enough, also barred people from free in-library access to basic e-reference works; this would undermine the very idea of the public library and, I suggest, break the '64 Act underpinning their provision.. Online reference resources sits alongside Enquire (24/7 email access to a librarian) , in particular, as the beginnings of the e-public library representing a parallel electronic version of what public libraries did, traditionally and by law, namely providing access to information and learning resources that most people would otherwise, never be able to see and use. It also represents the point at which public and academic library provision touch hands. If only there could be more! Lack of PR is often cited as a failing in the public library sector; there was insufficient to - a) promote the resource and service and b) promote a 21st century manifestation of the public library principle What has been missing is - a single national portal for public libraries with one name and a PR back-up that would effect a sea-change in public library access and provision What threatens to be missing in the current fragmented scenario is - national leadership and coordination that - in addition to renewing this invaluable opportunity - further re-invents and modernises the public library The notion that a majority of staff are unaware of reference online is an appalling indictment of leadership and training and should be addressed urgently. If only library managers could get a day free from planning cuts .. And are we telling new professionals in LIS departments? While we are rightly preoccupied with the threats of library closures we are missing the bigger threat posed by current policy; localism without coordination denies people the huge opportunity that comes from national collaboration. National leadership does not deny local choice. Rather it offers the choice of resources that no localism could possibly afford to deliver. This is basic economics, not ideology. Compare health, schools, universities, forests, police etc etc It is a shortcoming currently that almost all external advocacy for public libraries has come from the literature/fiction community, notwithstanding the WI! Library leaders and DCMS must earn support among colleagues in education, lifelong learning, citizenship and community action, the voluntary sector and the wider arts and cultural communities to raise awareness of the library as a place of learning and discovery that does not come only from borrowing fiction. On trains and planes I tell people this stuff and they are amazed. John John Dolan OBE, BA, Dip Lib, MCLIP E. [log in to unmask] Tw @johnrdolan T. 0121 476 4258 M. 07508 204200 -----Original Message----- From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Booty Information & Learning Services Development Manager Sent: 31 August 2011 14:26 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: National reference resources and national catalogue We have found that careful and selective use of social media (mainly Twitter and Facebook) is a useful way to promote online resources especially when able to aim them at people who will re-tweet to their own communities, or to draw on topical issues to make a link. One major advantage is that your audience are web-savvy types who will not need convincing that online services are something they want to use. Just one example - a recent tweet about the COBRA online business resource resulted in 39 click-throughs in 24 hours. Some of the suppliers are also making good use of social media to spread awareness of the products - Credo being the outstanding example of good practice. On the wider issues David is quite right. We certainly made the switch from printed resources to online because it represents a better way to spend our money and potentially gets that information to many more end users than would otherwise be the case. It was also because we believed that this represented a better way of delivering quality up-to-date information. There can't be many authorities where the range of titles available is not going to be reduced in the present situation so we may be moving further away from a standard national offer rather than closer, as the selection becomes more disparate rather than more cohesive. Chris Booty Information & Learning Services Development Manager Adults, Health & Community Wellbeing: Libraries Goldlay Gardens, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 0EW Essex County Council email: [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lynn Osborne Sent: 31 August 2011 12:21 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: National reference resources and national catalogue 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. Email: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > [log in to unmask] <http://www.kenchadconsulting.com/> > www.kenchadconsulting.com > > Skype: kenchadconsulting Twitter: @KenChad > > Open Library Systems Specifications: <http://libtechrfp.wikispaces.com/> > http://libtechrfp.wikispaces.com > > Access your county council services online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.northyorks.gov.uk. WARNING Any opinions or statements expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual and not necessarily those of North Yorkshire County Council. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you receive this in error, please do not disclose any information to anyone, notify the sender at the above address and then destroy all copies. North Yorkshire County Councils computer systems and communications may be monitored to ensure effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. 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