[OPLINLIST] State Library of Ohio Board Awards a $554, 366 Grant to Continue KnowItNow

[Marsha McDevitt-Stredney]

Please excuse multiple postings...

 

The State Library of Ohio Board recently awarded a $554,366 federal
Institution of Museum and Library services LSTA grant to continue
KnowItNow, the 24/7 statewide virtual reference service. Entering its
sixth year of service, KnowItNow has been the busiest statewide virtual
reference service in the United States. "The internet provides access to
valuable authentic information. However, it can also include misleading
and at times false information," said State Librarian Jo Budler.
"Through the KnowItNow service, librarians help Ohio's residents to find
authoritative websites and resources."   

 

A new platform was launched in September 2008 to increase access to
KnowItNow.  "The implementation of the open source software has opened
up capabilities that were not even possible in the past," said
KnowItNow24x7 Coordinator Don Boozer.   "One of the exciting features of
the new software is the ability to integrate other means of access into
the service beyond the traditional web chat interface. This, in turn,
has opened up the service to new users including the blind community."

 

KnowItNow has proven to be a valuable asset to student learning.
According to one teacher, "The thing that I like most about this service
is that it helps the students, but it makes them work and think. If
people can help others to learn to find an answer, in the end it will be
worth more than just giving them the answer and learning nothing. As the
saying goes...If you give a man a fish he will eat for a day; if you
teach a man fish he will eat for a lifetime." A student commented, "This
is the best service around. My mom says if she had this resource when
she was young, she would have done much better in school."

 

KnowItNow would not be possible without the in-kind support of Ohio's
libraries. Twenty percent of public libraries provide the online
reference help. In addition, the State Library's reference librarians
help Ohioans find authentic resources and the Ohio Library and
Information Network (OhioLINK) consortium libraries assist college
students. 

 

 

 

 

Marsha McDevitt-Stredney

Marketing & Communications Director

274 E. 1st Avenue

Columbus, OH 43201

Tel: 614-644-6875

Fax: 614-466-3584

www.library.ohio.gov

 

 

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