LIBR 246-12: Web 2.0 and Social Networking Tools (Fall 2008)

For this exercise, I chose the first question. I went to the AskNow website to use the QuestionPoint service. I have actually sat it on a reference session with one of our librarians at my work to see what it was like from the professional perspective. It was very interesting. However, I had not used the service to ask a question. I was very pleased with my experience. I didn't wait long at all for a librarian to log in and start chatting with me. Also, I was so thrilled when the librarian pushed a website to me!! (Wow, does that mean I need to get out more??) Seriously, though, I loved that we are able to do this for people, and I cannot wait to be able to do it myself as a librarian!!! This is my chat using QuestionPoint:

Hello Diana,

Your chat transcript with a librarian at CAASKNOW

Date: 17:16 2008/10/22
Question ID: 3892896

Chat Transcript: How many people were murdered in the state of California in 2005?

[Librarian 17:17:02]: Librarian 'xxxxxx, xxxxx Public Librarian (CA)' has joined the session.
[Librarian 17:17:27]: Hello. I am a librarian in xxxxxx
[Diana 17:17:28]: Hello. Will you please help me find this information?
[Librarian 17:17:40]: I am reading your questtion right now.
[Librarian 17:17:52]: Do you need a specific type of source?
[Diana 17:18:15]: thank you. no, I don't need a specific type of source.
[Librarian 17:19:09]: OK--please try this link and let me know if this is what you wanted: http://ag.ca.gov/cjsc/publications/homicide/hm05/preface.pdf
[Diana 17:19:48]: This is perfect!!! Thank you so very much!
[Librarian 17:20:24]: Wonderful!
[Librarian 17:20:29]: It was my pleasure.
[Librarian 17:20:43]: Thanks for using this service and please come back the next time you have a question.
[Librarian 17:20:58]: Bye.
[Librarian 17:20:59]: Librarian ended chat session.

Now, here is my chat using Meebo:

[17:26] meeboguest770663: Hi. Can you help me, please? I'm trying to find some statistical information. I need to know how many people were murdered in California in 2005.

[17:27] librarianchat: sure, let me see if i can find that

[17:27] meeboguest770663: thank you!

[17:28] librarianchat: will this chart do?   http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/cacrime.htm

[17:28] meeboguest770663: let me check

[17:29] meeboguest770663: yes. this is great. thanks a lot!

Ok, now I have to say that I was more impressed with the reference interview that the QuestionPoint librarian did. That librarian specifically asked me what type of source I needed, but the other one did not. That surprised me, especially because once I looked at the site that the second librarian referred me to, I wasn't sure that it was something I would have used had I really been looking for reliable information. The first librarian's reference interview gave me the impression that he/she was considering whether or not I needed peer-reviewed, government, or other type of sources. I felt that the second librarian referred me to a page that could be questionable. Maybe I missed something, but I couldn't exactly find who runs the "Disaster Center" website. Also, there seemed to be a lot of advertising. I thought that was a bit of a red flag in terms of the reliability of the source. Nonetheless, here is my Meebo chat:

[17:26] meeboguest770663: Hi. Can you help me, please? I'm trying to find some statistical information. I need to know how many people were murdered in California in 2005.

[17:27] librarianchat: sure, let me see if i can find that

[17:27] meeboguest770663: thank you!

[17:28] librarianchat: will this chart do?   http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/cacrime.htm

[17:28] meeboguest770663: let me check

[17:29] meeboguest770663: yes. this is great. thanks a lot!