AUSTIN, TX (November 6, 2003) — The General Libraries "Ask a Librarian" service just got even better. It now enables information seekers to chat with a librarian online.
The new chat service extends the availability of real-time reference help to students, faculty and staff anywhere they might be. "Chat reference now brings librarians to users' desktops," remarked Joe Dobbs, Virtual Reference Coordinator.
The full-scope of the "Ask a Librarian" service includes several options for getting help from a librarian. Users can ask questions at locations throughout campus and by phone, email, and now online chat.
No special software is required to access the new chat service. Chat reference is currently available Monday through Thursday, noon to 6:00 p.m. and on Fridays from noon until 4:00 p.m.
Librarians from across the General Libraries will be available to chat with users about locating, evaluating, and using information. Since the service started in early October, librarians have chatted with users about searching databases for articles, helped students researching from home locate books in the online catalog, and provided guidance to distance education students about how to cite web sites in research papers. Students and staff have already overwhelmingly embraced this new service. As one student remarked, "This service is very cool and very useful. It's almost like having a librarian built into your computer."# # #
For more information about this service, contact Joe Dobbs, Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) 2.402K, jwdobbs@mail.utexas.edu, (512) 495-4224.
General Libraries news releases are located on UT Library Online at:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/about/news/newsreleases.html
