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Reference Committee

Meeting Minutes—March 18 , 2008

Present:  Mary Adler (MFD), Tana Elias (MAD), Jack Faulkner-Becker (STP), Bev Kennedy (PAR), Amy Sabo (NGL), Jaime Vache (STO), Cheryl Becker (SCLS), Kerri Hilbelink (SCLS), Jean Anderson (SCLS).    Also present: Carla DiIorio from MAD.

1. Election of 2008 Chair: Jaime Vache
   
   
2. December Minutes:  Approved
   
   
3. News and Updates: 
   
   
   1. Database Survey was sent. Cheryl is tallying responses to see which databases will be available system wide, and which will be subscribed to by small groups.  No response by a library will be considered a vote for all of the databases. (although libraries that don’t respond will be contacted in an effort to get a response.)
      
      
   2. Demos of databases are being offered all year, usually one per month, by Jean Anderson through continuing education. Learning Express was featured in February, LRC is scheduled for March, but it might be postponed because of poor response. Reference USA is scheduled for April.
      
      
   3. Database Interface Updates. The interface has changed for the first two databases, and upcoming for the third:
      
      
      1. Novelist – The links to LINKcat and the Marshfield and Portage County Catalogs now appear in the Results screen at the bottom of the title entry, and in the individual entry at the bottom, under “Database and Persistent Link”.
      2. Literature Resource Center – see new interface
      3. EBSCO “redesign”—scheduled for this summer
         
         
   4. NetLibrary.  patron driven acquisition technology titles. Some 2007 LSTA technology funds were deposited with NetLibrary to purchase technology titles. If SCLS patrons open a book, the title will automatically be purchased by SCLS and the money withdrawn from the deposit.
      
      
   5. The “Databases by subject” page will change this week. The bright colorful look is intended to help direct users to the databases that meet their information needs. The page was developed by the Marketing and PR Committee, as were the bookmarks for each subject which are available by contacting Mark Ibach.
      
      
      
4. EBSCOhost Visual Search—The Reference Committee decided SCLS should turn it on and make the Visual Search tab available for our databases. It will just be an option, and not the default. It may not work on all workstations (it requires Flash). When we turn it on we’ll announce via email and Online Update.
   
   
5. Gale Virtual Reference Library Pilot Project is available through the end of June. Please try it out and use it with patrons. Libraries will be asked about a financial commitment for the patron driven acquisition model on April 30. The program is set up so that when patrons use a book a certain amount (still to be negotiated), the book will be purchased. Numerous questions were asked: what would trigger purchase? would we buy individual volumes or complete sets? could the trigger to purchase could be based on amount of time spent in a title rather then simply the number of times accessed?
   
   
6. Discussion topic: Reference transactions and statistics. 
   
   Cheryl asked librarians to share how they kept track of reference transactions and statistics. There is a wide variety of record-keeping.
   
   One library has people write down queries and where they found info, to help the next person who gets the same or a similar query.   Some libraries keep tallies all year at various desks. Madison keeps track of four kinds of questions three times a year.  
   
   Marshfield had questions regarding queues at the reference desk, where other patrons listen in or get into conversations with the reference interview. They are looking for ways to preserve confidentiality, boundaries
   
   
7. Future discussion topics:
   
   • What databases do libraries have now, purchased individually, and not through SCLS?
   • Children’s reference.

Next meeting: June 17, 2008.

Bev Kennedy, Note taker

For more information about the Reference Committee, contact Cheryl Becker.

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