Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) Needs Your Help!

As many of you know, our contract with ProQuest will expire on June 30, 2011. Assuming we continue in the same direction we have been going, we will need to have a new contract in place before that date.

The first and most important step in this process is finding out what you, the libraries throughout Washington that benefit from this package, want and need in terms of a statewide database package. Equally as important, we’d like to hear if you think the project SHOULD continue, and if so, how: should we keep going as we have, or try a different approach?

To this end, we have developed two “needs assessment” surveys to help us determine which way the wind is blowing when it comes to database purchasing in Washington State.

Survey for ALL Library Staff

The first survey, linked below, is for library staff at all levels and from all types of libraries. If you work, even tangentially, with database products at your library, then we would appreciate your feedback. This survey will take 20-30 minutes to complete, and you may remain anonymous or provide your contact information at the end of the survey. We appreciate your time in filling out the survey and assure you that your feedback and comments will have a significant impact on our decisions moving forward. We would very much like YOU to determine how the SDL project moves forward.

The survey for ALL library staff is located here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sdlneeds2010

Survey for Public Library Patrons

The second survey is geared towards public library patrons (users, customers, members, etc), e.g. the public whom you serve.   A link will be posted on the SIL Databases & Research page:  http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=1246.

Thanks!

Thank you for taking the time to complete and share these surveys. Please spread the word among staff at your libraries, so that we may have the broadest range of feedback possible to ensure a successful procurement process.

Yes another post about Proctoring

This is the topic that will not die.  At yesterday’s RSC meeting, the group discussed a request that one of our proctorees had made at the request of her professor.  The student was asked to have the librarian email the instructor on the date that she came to the library and took her exam.   The group decided that this was no different from filling out the form that often accompanies a test and could actually be done more quickly than filling out the form.   The student was notified that this will be something that we can do and our Proctoring Guidelines will be amended to reflect this.

Reference Services Committee on the Move in 2011

ILS Training has a tremendous impact on the Training Room schedule at Service Center early next year.  The RSC has decided to break out of our regular schedule and have 3 of our bi-monthly meetings  in several community libraries next year. 

March 15        Snohomish

May 17             Oak Harbor

July 19            Stanwood

The January 18, September 20, and November 15 meetings will be at Service Center.

Annual Reference Survey in October

Yes, it’s that time of the year.  Our annual reference question survey will take place October 18-24.  During this week you will count reference and directional questions, using the form found on the intranet.  When the week is over, please send the forms and the totals for each day to Terry Beck at Service Center.  You may submit the totals on paper or as an Excel spreadsheet. 

It’s a good time to review the definitions of reference and directional questions.    The current information is found on the intranet.  If you have any questions, please contact your Reference Services Committee representative or Terry Beck.

Biography Resource Center now Renamed to Biography In Context

Please note this name change and the removal of the outdated “Info Guide”.  As soon as the new guide is available from Gale, we will add a link to it in our database description.

It is important to review the search changes before working with customers.  The Advanced Search no longer includes occupation, nationality, etc.   These options are available directly from the search tool.

Please let me know if you have any question or comments!

WOIS Subscription Expired

Just a reminder that our subscription to WOIS expired on 8/31/10 and the Reference Services Committee made the difficult decision not to renew it based on cost per use.

Instead, please refer our customers to the Job & Career Accelerator:

Job & Career Accelerator

http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=4337

Video: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5224

Get detailed information on occupations that suit your interests. Access current job listings from over 5 million job postings, which are collected from all major job boards. Create professional resumes and cover letters, master interviewing and networking techniques, and more. Job & Career Accelerator is your guide to getting hired!