The Reference Desk is now set up to use Meebo. Meebo does the same thing that Gaim does (which is what we’ve been using), namely combining multiple IM accounts into one interface, so we only have to run one program to allow people with different IM programs to contact us.
BUT (and that’s a big but), there’s a very special thing that Meebo does that programs like Gaim and Trillian do NOT, and that is providing an embedded “widget” allowing people to IM us without having any IM program installed. I’ve already set up a widget for Meebo on our Ask A Librarian page, so give it a click and see what it looks like.
The only thing that Meebo requires is logging into it through a web page and keeping that web page open. If you use Firefox, it’s just an extra tab and I’ve already configured Firefox to open the library website AND Meebo in two different tabs when Firefox is launched. Internet Explorer 6 doesn’t have tabs (and IE7 cannot run on Windows 2000 machines), so if you use Internet Explorer you’ll need to have two browser windows open–one for the library website/catalog and one for Meebo. I’m keeping the library website as the Home Page in IE and have added a link on the toolbar for Meebo. Since we’ve gotten used to having a separate application running with Gaim, it won’t be much different except that both windows will be Internet Explorer. My recommendation: use Firefox. 🙂
(For what it’s worth, Meebo widgets can also be seamlessly used in LibGuides, as you’ll be able to see by looking at my profile.)
(See http://meebo.com for more information about it.)
Again, as a reminder from our Reference Team meeting last week, the list in BIP to place interdisciplinary reference titles is: GenRef.
A new database is available through the Butler Libraries, called Cambridge Companions to Philosophy, Religion, and Culture.
Cambridge University Press publishes many books in their “Companions” series, each on a specific topic. The Cambridge Companions series offers specially-commissioned
collections of essays which are intended to serve as reference works for an inter-disciplinary
audience of students and non-specialists.
Addressing topics and figures ranging from Plato through
Kant to Habermas, and philosophical movements such as the Scottish Enlightenment and German Idealism,
this online collection ehealth pharmacy contains over 900 downloadable essays taken from the Cambridge
Companions to Philosophy, Religion and Culture (more than 90 volumes).
Each volume also includes a substantial bibliography and other elements such as glossaries and timelines. You can browse the collection by Volume, by Chapter Title, and by Author.
For the last few days, our SFX service has been down. This has affected the FindIt button and Journals A-Z.
As of Wednesday, Sept. 19, all these services have been restored. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.
Reference Team Meeting
Sept. 19, 2007
Present: Dan Roose, Sheri Stormes, Teresa Williams, Scott (the Pirate) Pfitzinger, Sally Neal, Renee Reed
Topics covered:
- Head count for reference area – do we need to keep doing?
Rachel Applegate studyGroup agreed to continue counting at the every half-hour – this helps with determining service hours.
Sally N. will contact Rachel Applegate to inquire about where Rachel is at with her study, clarify what we are counting.
For the time being (waiting for clarification from Rachel), count everyone in the east end of the building, including:
Reference area
Index area
Reference music area
119 (when open as a lab)
Where to count printer issues within statistics – be sure to count these using the ‘Computer’ category.
- Looking at statistics for 9:30 – 10:00 pm vs. 9:30 – 10:00 pm reference transactions
Statistics confirm that we need to be here until 10:00.
- Reference collection development – who oversees or is it a team effort?
Dan reminded the group that it was agreed upon this past summer that liaisons would be responsible for reference collection development within their liaison areas.
To handle interdisciplinary reference titles, librarians can add titles to the General Reference List in BIP.
Sally N. will convene the Reference Team group a couple times a year to review the titles within the BIP General Reference List for purchase.
Concerning non-print reference titles:
Requests can come from individual librarians
Will want to request trial – share this with librarians
Lewis has to sign-off on for purchase
- Using the blog to communicate helpful reference information that we want to keep
If it would be helpful to have a record of it, write it up on the staff blog; if it is fleeting information like, the printer is broken tonight, an e-mail will do.
Remember to categorize reference blog posts under “Reference” for easy browseability (it’s an ‘Advanced’ option within the blog editor).
- How often to meet
We will meet at least once a month in the fall, perhaps more infrequently in the spring semester.
Concerning attendance, again, please know that all who work the desk are welcome and encouraged to attend, to be a part of our conversations and decisions; however, if you work few hours and have other pressing commitments, you can use your judgment concerning attendance.
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