Virtual Reference Competencies (Feb. 15 - March 26)

Date, Location

Mon, 02/15/2010 - 10:00am to Mon, 02/15/2010 - 6:00pm

online,

Cost: ACRL member: $270 ALA member: $350 CACUL member: Can$290 (charges will be made in U.S. dollars) Nonmember: $390 Student: $120

To Register:

Register here: http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/elearning/courses/VirtualReference.cfm

About the Event

Course Description:
The technical competencies essential or desirable for virtual reference librarians to acquire or to improve on are the foundation of virtual reference service provision. Virtual reference service is built on a technical infrastructure. The Internet, the World Wide Web, e-mail, Web chat, Instant Messaging, and all the associatedsupportive technology and software are the environment in which virtual reference librarians work. In "Virtual Reference Competencies: Acquire and Improve Technical Skills and Knowledge," participants will engage in learning activities, supported by readings as well as lecture and discussion to acquire and improve the technical competencies required by effective virtual reference librarians.

"Virtual Reference Competencies: Acquire and Improve Technical Skills and Knowledge" is a primarily asynchronous seminar, allowing participants to work through course material at times convenient to them throughout the three week scheduled course time. Participants may also choose to schedule online chat time with the teacher, as they feel necessary. Specific material and learning activities will be covered during each week of the course. Threaded discussion forums are available for use in learning activities and other course-related conversations.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this seminar you will:

• assess and improve your ability to type on a computer keyboard and make use of other related input devices (mouse, trackball, touchpad, etc.)
• assess and improve your work with multiple software applications on a computer with multiple windows, to move appropriately between windows/applications, and to move quickly and mindfully between multiple activities chatting, searching print or electronic sources, etc. (minimal multi-tasking)
• evaluate and add to your detailed functional knowledge of how to access the Internet, use Internet e-mail, connect to Web sites
• increase your detailed functional knowledge of at least one Web browser
• cultivate your awareness of the basic technologies that any given virtual reference service user may or may not be using, have access to, or be limited by
• develop awareness of the chat software specifics for a given system you are going to be using then develop:
  • detailed functional knowledge of the specific chat software used by your library or other organization for chat reference
• cultivate awareness of how to connect to and chat through Web-based chat software, Internet messaging, etc.
• add to your awareness of the options for document or information delivery
• practice sending files as attachments in e-mail
• understand when and how to make use of other file transfer options (e.g., Internet messaging, ftp, Web posting)
• develop awareness of common computer file formats for information transfer/document delivery (e.g., .txt, .doc .html .gif .jpg .mpg, .pdf)
  cultivate detailed functional knowledge of your local e-mail system and its limitations as well as general awareness of the functionality of email software used by others.
• make use of options to download, install, and use toolbars, search engines, plug-ins, and other helpful browser extensions.
• assess your ability to use a document scanner to scan print materials to be faxed and/or saved for transfer to the user (e.g., send as attachments by e-mail, file transfer options