OhioLINK's Chat with a Librarian service will cease operations after December 21, 2007. After December 21, OhioLINK students and faculty who desire online assistance should use their library's Instant Message service if one is available, contact their library, or try KnowItNow a statewide live online reference service.
During five years of service, librarians from 40 libraries have taken turns providing online research assistance to students and faculty from OhioLINK member colleges and universities through Chat with a Librarian. More than 52,000 chat sessions were conducted since the service began in 2002.
Changes in libraries and information technology, and declining use of Chat with a Librarian, have led us to re-examine this service. In the last several years, Instant Messaging has become a major communication tool on campuses. Many libraries have begun to use IM to answer questions for their own communities. This way, students and faculty are served by librarians from their own institutions.
In addition, the State Library of Ohio supports a live online reference service called KnowItNow, which operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. KnowItNow is a service of the State Library of Ohio and local public libraries. An academic service is being added to this program.
We sincerely thank the hundreds of librarians who have provided Chat with a Librarian service, and the thousands of library users who appreciated the anytime/anywhere help.
For library assistance, check your library's Web site or find contact information.
Posted by Candi Clevenger at November 2, 2007 09:52 AM