World Book Kids, a New Addition to the World Book Online Reference Center, Is Designed Especially for Younger Users, English-Language Learners, and Reluctant Readers
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PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION VOLUME 46 • NUMBER 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 ISSN 0163-5506 DEPARTMENTS 4 News from PLA hhes 5 On the Agenda 7 From the President ssan hildreth 15 Tales from the Front jennifer t. ries- FEATURES 17 Perspectives 40 Right-Sizing the Reference Collection nann blaine hilyard The authors detail a large and busy public library branch’s 23 Book Talk method for weeding the reference collection and interfiling it with lisa richter circulating material. rose m. frase and barbara salit-mischel 28 Internet Spotlight lisa ble, nicole 45 KnowItNow heintzelman, steven Ohio’s Virtual Reference Service kronen, and joyce ward Ohio’s virtual reference service, KnowItNow24X7, is a world leader in real-time online reference, with more than 175,000 questions 32 Bringing in the Money answered to date. Now in its third year of operation, its success is erdin due to the collaborative efforts of the three managing libraries and the support of the Ohio Library community. 36 Passing Notes holly carroll, brian leszcz, kristen pool, and tracy strobel michael arrett 54 Going Mobile 74 By the Book The KCLS Roving Reference Model jlie Why wait for patrons to approach the desk? Shouldn’t staff seek out and serve customer’s information needs anywhere in the building? 76 New Product News This article shows how the King County (Wash.) Library System vicki nestin implemented Roving Reference in order to provide the best possible customer service to its patrons. EXTRAS barbara pitney and nancy slote 2 Readers Respond 69 Reference Desk Realities 2 Editor’s Note What they didn’t teach you in library school—Decker Smith and 10 Verso—The Future of Reference Johnson’s practical article aims to help equip librarians for the reali- 13 Verso—By the Numbers ties of day-to-day public library reference work. 79 Instructions to Authors sally decker smith and roberta johnson 80 Index to Advertisers cover and table of contents imaes by jim lane desin. Editor’s Note What is the state of your library’s reference services? Are you EDITORIAL able to deliver the information your patrons need, when they EDITOR: Kathleen M. Hughes need it? Is it time to kick things up a notch? This theme issue CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Steven M. Cohen, Julie Elliott, Michael Garrett Farrelly, Stephanie Gerding, Nann Blaine Hilyard, of Public Libraries is focused entirely on reference services. Nanci Milone-Hill, Vicki Nesting, Jennifer T. Ries-Taggart So, if you are looking for ways to improve or even just tweak ADVISORY COMMITTEE your library’s reference services, the articles and columns in Marilyn Boria, Elmhurst, IL; Bessie Condos, Sacramento, CA; this issue will provide you with lots of ideas and tips. Sally Decker-Smith, Wheeling, IL; Luren E. Dickinson, Shaker Heights, OH; Patricia Linville, Seward, AK; Nanci Milone Hill, “Right-Sizing the Reference Collection” explores the Methuen, MA; Patricia Marvel, Las Vegas, NV; Marcia Schneider, process and the results of interfiling reference titles with San Francisco, CA. circulating materials. “KnowItNow—Ohio’s Virtual Reference EX OFFICIO: Daniel L. Walters, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. N., Las Vegas, NV 89101; Service,” details how several libraries worked collaboratively [email protected]. to plan and implement statewide 24/7 virtual reference. In PLA PRESIDENT: Susan Hildreth, State Library of California, 914 “Going Mobile,” the King County (Wash.) Library System’s Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814; [email protected]. Roving Reference model is explored, and in “Reference Desk PUBLIC LIBRARIES (ISSN 0163-5506) is published bimonthly at 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. It is the official publication of Realities,” the authors provide a down-to-earth look at the the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library everyday realities of staffing the reference desk. Association. Subscription price: to members of PLA, $25 a year, included in membership dues; to nonmembers: U.S. $50; Canada You’ll also want to check out all of our regular columns $60; all other countries $60. Single copies, $10. Periodicals postage for their take on this subject; be sure take a look at Book paid at Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices. Talk, which features an interview with Jim Collins of Good POSTMASTER: send address changes to Public Libraries, to Great fame. We hope the information and tools avail- 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. able in this issue will help you take your library’s reference SUBSCRIPTIONS services from “Good to Great.” Nonmember subscriptions, orders, changes of address, and Thanks for reading! inquiries should be sent to Public Libraries, Sub scription Kathleen Hughes Department, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; 1-800-545-2433, press 5; fax: (312) 944-2641; Editor [email protected]. advertising Kathleen is reading The Real Charlotte by Edith Somerville William N. Coffee, c/o Benson, Coffee & Associates, 1411 Peterson and Martin Ross and Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky. Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068; (847) 692-4695; fax: (847) 692-3877. PRODUCTION ALA PRODUCTION SERVICES: Troy D. Linker, Angela Hanshaw; Angela Gwizdala, Christopher Keech, Stephanie Kuenn, and Christine Velez. MANUSCRIPTS Unless otherwise noted, all submissions should be sent to Readers Respond Kathleen Hughes, Public Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; [email protected]. See www.pla.org for sub- mission instructions. More on Guest Presenters: Timely Payment INDEXING/ABSTRACTING Kathleen Kelly Macmillan’s article, “The Care and Feeding of Guest Public Libraries is indexed in Library Literature and Current Presenters,” (Public Libraries, Sept./Oct. 2006) omits one of the Index to Journals in Education (CIJE), in addition to a num- ber of online services. Contents are ab stracted in Library and most annoying aspects of being a presenter for a public library or Information Science Abstracts. for many library associations in my experience—namely, getting MICROFILM COPIES paid and reimbursed in a timely manner. At the least, I think an Microfilm copies are available from University Microfilms, 300 honorarium check should be presented the day the person com- N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. pletes the requested presentation, and what out-of-pocket expens- The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information es there are should be reimbursed promptly. I have paid interest on Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, credit cards more times than I can count because of slow payment ANSI Z39.48-1992. from libraries for related expenses. I have now learned the hard ©2006 by the American Library Association way to ask the library inviting me to purchase the plane tickets All materials in this journal are subject to copyright by the American Library Association and may be photocopied for the themselves and also to have any hotel bills go directly to them. noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advance- This is especially galling when the presenter is another profes- ment granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting, photocopying, or translating, sional librarian or LIS academic who may be doing this as much address requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. continued on page 9 pblic libraries 2 WBKidsAd-7 1-2 x 9 5-8.qxd 12/1/06 3:35 PM Page 1 Meet Atlas at: www.worldbookonline.com/ sales/us/tutorial World Book Kids, a new addition to the World Book Online Reference Center, is designed especially for younger users, English-language learners, and reluctant readers. With content from the award-winning World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia, the site offers simpler navigation, easier-to-read content, and dozens of learning activities. For additional information, please contact your World Book representative. 1-800-975-3250 www.worldbookonline.com/sales/us news from pla News from PLA Po Bronson to Keynote proud to introduce the Every Child The current, nascent concept PLA Spring Symposium Ready to Read® @ your library® entails building a living, breathing wiki, which can be found at http:// encyclopedia of public librarianship Luncheon wikis.ala.org/ecrr. The wiki allows (not so much a wiki of or about PLA Bestselling author Po Bronson will new and current users of the Every as much a wiki sponsored by PLA), present the keynote address at the Child Ready to Read® @ your building on content from the service 2007 PLA Spring Symposium Author library® program to share innova- responses and ensuing discussion, Luncheon. The 2007 PLA Spring tive ideas and best practices. and other information, then setting Symposium will take place March 1-3 PLA and ALSC jointly developed it free to the Internet wild, where in San Jose, California, at the Fairmont the Every Child Ready to Read® @ public librarians can grow and prune ® San Jose. The author luncheon will be your library program to provide the wiki as necessary with current held on March 2 from noon to 1:30 p.m. public libraries with vital tools to content contribution. As the spon- Bronson’s What Should I Do With help prepare parents for their criti- soring organization, PLA would be in My Life? was a New York Times best- cal role as their child’s first teacher. charge of creating guidelines, style seller and remained in the paper’s Based on research from the PLA/ guides, and overall general manage- top ten list for nine months. Bronson ALSC Early Literacy Initiative, the ment and monitoring. ® travels the country recording the sto- three Every Child Ready to Read So our questions to you are: ries of real people who have struggled programs target parents and care- to answer life’s biggest questions.