Need: Iowans' questions cannot always be answered at their local libraries and the answer may be delayed if it has to go beyond the local level--LSA budget cuts, and resultant staff cuts, have impaired the ability to answer questions as quickly as Iowans need them to be. Many librarians in Iowa have limited training and/or experience in effective reference work so questions that might be answered locally must be forwarded to the backup reference system, costing time and money. The way in which Iowans ask questions, and the places to which they go to ask the questions, are changing and libraries are exploring the possibilities for effectively serving their customers' information needs.

• Objective 1: 80% (%) of questions entering the backup reference system during the project are answered on the same day.
• Objective 2: 90% (%) of customers surveyed, whose questions are entered into the backup reference system, express satisfaction with the answer and the timeliness.

Goal 2: Member librarians are information literate.

• Objective 1: The number of reference questions answered locally in a month increases by X% from the month prior to the beginning of the project to the last month of the project.
• Objective 2: 90% of librarians who use the backup reference system will report that they are more confident of their ability to answer questions locally.

Goal 3: Participating libraries and agencies have evaluated the viability of virtual reference in their environment.

• Objective 1: Participating libraries and agencies will complete a survey of their experience/evaluation of the virtual reference process.

1. Recruit libraries and agencies to participate in project for X months; libraries and agencies will agree to donate X hours of staffing per week, in exchange for the opportunity to experience and evaluate virtual reference "software" and process.
2. Evaluate web interface solutions for virtual reference, and select package based on features, cost, and ease of use for the customer.
3. Select software/host.
4. Install downloads, configure interface (buttons, messages, etc.), build library of documents, URLs, etc.
5. Schedule libraries and agencies
6. Train "agents" (staff doing reference) in software, and "teaching" information literacy as they go through transaction with librarians
7. Practice transactions
8. Promote service to libraries
9. Evaluate

SWILSA?

Partnership grant

Other grants

(based on Instant Service package)

$300 Setup

$200/month 200 transactions/month; unlimited number of agents

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$2700 (1 years)