Monday, January 26, 2009

Virtual Reference and the Hidden Web

Are you a virtual reference librarian? If you are, you provide your library patrons with material found on the Internet, in electronic databases, and the hidden web.

Virtual reference is also described using these terms:
  • Reference sources available 24/7
  • Ask a Librarian
  • Digital Reference
  • E Reference
  • Live Chat
  • Chat Reference
  • Electronic Reference sources


Let's check out this PDF document link that gives us the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Virtual Librarians - http://qandanj.org/description/7habits.pdf

Now, let's conduct a virtual reference interview. How does it differ from a face-to-face one?

http://www.ifla.org/VII/dg/dgrw/dp99-06.htm





But, you may ask, how do you interact with your patron in a virtual library reference interview?
  • Email
  • Chat
  • SMS or Short Message Service, such as text messaging using a CELL phone





Interested in finding a chat reference librarian? Here's a list of libraries offering these services: http://liswiki.org/wiki/Chat_reference_libraries



What's the invisible or hidden or deep web?

Video #1





Video #2 Searching the Deep Web



Visit these indexes to the deep Web:



Libraries of the future

Video #3 - South Carolina Digital Library initiative



The South Carolina Digital Library is a great example of the library of the future. You can access all of their free resources online at: http://www.scmemory.org/index.php




Video #4 - The Library of Congress Digital Library






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