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Now text this: State Library doing pilot project

Now text this: State Library doing pilot project

You texters out there should check out the new pilot program involving a handful of public and academic library systems in our state. The pilot, which is being done with Mosio, is possible thanks to our very own Washington State Library, which is using money from the Library Services and Technology Act. The Washington State Library, which has been providing chat and email reference statewide for years through their Ask-WA project, is piloting text messaging reference to see if it…

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WSL Updates for April 15, 2010

WSL Updates for April 15, 2010

Volume 6, April 15, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS – MONEY STILL AVAILABLE 2) ASK-WA – ALL YOUR REFERENCE IN ONE PLACE 3) IN THE NEWS – RENEW WASHINGTON 4) ALA ONLINE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES 5) HOW LIBRARIES STACK UP – 2010 6) NW DOCUMENTARY FILM RELEASED

Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Dec 2009

Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Dec 2009

Ask-WA Statistics – December, 2009 December tends to be a slower month for Ask-WA, mainly because academic traffic drops off so sharply during the holiday breaks. In numbers: Email questions received: 3319 Chat sessions requested: 3474 Chat sessions accepted: 2883 Qwidget requests (% of total): 791 (22.8%) On a positive note, our answering percentage rose from its dangerously low 74% last month up to 83% in December, which is ideal. The best part is that this higher ratio is due…

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Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Nov 2009

Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Nov 2009

Ask-WA Statistics – November, 2009 Ask-WA slowed down a bit in November compared to October, but since we were super-extra busy in October, that isn’t saying too much. November numbers were still well ahead of September, August, and July numbers, especially in terms of chat sessions requested. In numbers: Email questions received: 3743 Chat sessions requested: 4912 Chat sessions accepted: 3645 Qwidget requests (% of total): 965 (19.6%) As a cooperative we maintained an answering percentage of 74% for the…

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Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Oct 2009

Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Oct 2009

Ask-WA Statistics – October, 2009 Ask-WA picked up significantly in October, beating September and August in every category. Except Qwidget requests, which remained about even, percentage-wise. In numbers: Email questions received: 4287 Chat sessions requested: 5303 Chat sessions accepted: 4343 Qwidget requests (% of total): 1282 (24.2%) As a cooperative we maintained an answering percentage of 81.9% for the month, which is down nearly 5% from September (probably because of the increased traffic), but remains well over the goal rate…

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Ask-WA Goes Primetime

Ask-WA Goes Primetime

Ask-WA had its television debut last Friday night on Komo News! All the video they took was from the UW, but they covered the service well, and in a very good light, and mentioned all the key points. Check it out! If you’re not in the know, Ask-WA is a statewide cooperative of libraries – academics, publics, and specials – offering 24/7 virtual reference service to all the residents of Washington State. If you want to give it a try,…

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Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Sept 2009

Ask-WA(tch): Stats, Kudos and Comments for Sept 2009

Ask-WA Statistics – September, 2009 Ask-WA maintained a busy service during the month of September, and chat picked up slightly over August as schools came back into session. In numbers: Email questions received: 3707 Chat sessions requested: 3457 Chat sessions accepted: 2993 Qwidget requests (% of total): 848 (24.5%) As a cooperative we maintained an answering percentage of 86.6% for the month, which is a good 2% over last month, and remains well over the goal rate of 75%. Keep…

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Ref22: Using Screencasts in Virtual Reference

Ref22: Using Screencasts in Virtual Reference

What: Ref22: “Using Screencasts in Virtual Reference” When: Tuesday, October 13th, 8:30 – 9:30 am PST Where: Wimba WA_TrainingRoom1 Tuesday, October 13th, we will host our very first webinar in what will be a monthly series called Ref22 (it’s “22” because it’s the 2nd Tuesday of every month). Ref22 is meant for reference and virtual reference librarians in particular, and will cover a variety of interesting and practical topics. This month we are happy to feature Lauren Ray, Educational Outreach…

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Join Ask-WA for Free in 2010

Join Ask-WA for Free in 2010

Dear libraries of Washington State, Are your users on the internet? I’m willing to bet that a lot of them are. Do they use chat software to communicate? IM tools like ICQ and AIM have been around since 1996/1997 (respectively), and companies like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! all provide IM services. Chat and IM aren’t new, and lots of people use them to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues. Chat and email are probably the two most-used methods for online…

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Get great answers to tough questions, online and 24/7.

Get great answers to tough questions, online and 24/7.

Your librarians will answer your questions, day or night. Have you ever had a question you couldn’t answer? Has Google left you empty-handed – or overwhelmed? Have you considered asking an expert for help? Your library has professional information specialists (we just call them librarians) who know how to go beyond Google to find you the information you need. And now asking a librarian is just as convenient as searching the Web. Over 60 libraries in Washington State have joined…

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