TARGET>HELP WITH RESEARCH FOR A LIBRARY SCHOOL PROJECT

[Kimberly Dawn Alexander <dalexand@WAM.UMD.EDU>]

IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP PLEASE REPLY TO ME PERSONALLY. SORRY FOR THE
LENGTH OF THE POSTING!

I am a library school student at the University of Maryland. This semester
in my Information Access Seminar, we are studying virtual reference
desks. My interest is in the collaboration between public librarians and
school library media specialists when creating and offering this service
for the shared population of children and young adults. By answering the
following questions, you can help me to understand the relationships that
could be formed to provide excellent service.

In choosing to answering the following questions, you are indicating that
you are at least 18 years of age and wish to participate in a program of
research being conducted by Dr. Delia Neuman and  Dawn Alexander in the
College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College
Park, Maryland, 20742. You are also assured that all information collected
in the study is confidential, and that your name will not be identified at
any time. The data you provide will be grouped with data others provide
for reporting and presentation.

There are no risks involved in the procedure used during this research.

You also agree that the research is not designed to help you personally,
but to help the investigator learn more about the collaboration between
school library media specialists and public librarians when designing
reference services for children and young adults. You are free to ask
questions or withdraw from participation at any time and without penalty.

Thank you for your time.

QUESTIONS:
Survey Questions for School Library Media Specialists
1) Rate the current level of cooperation between school library media
specialists and public librarians in your geographic area. (5 = great deal
of cooperation; 1 = very little cooperation)
2) Please list types of activities whereby school and public libraries
cooperate in your area.
3) Do any of the current collaborative activities include provision of
reference service and information services to children and young adults?
4) Have you ever heard of a virtual reference desk?
5) Have you ever used a virtual reference desk or email reference service?
6) What would you think of the idea of your local public library
sponsoring a virtual reference desk?
7) Would your school system be interested in launching this sort of
project on its own?
8) Why or why not?
9) Would you be interested in collaborating with the local public
librarians to plan the service?
10) What level of involvement in the service would you be interested in
maintaining?
11) How do you think that this could it benefit students the most?
12) Do you think that a virtual reference desk that uses chat as its means
of communication would be popular with students?
13) Would the existence of such a reference service (using chat as the
means of communication between patron and librarian) be helpful for your
student population?
14) Would the aspect of online chat provide a means for librarians and
children/young adults to connect?
15) If a service were offered in your area, what hours would be most
beneficial?
16) Would students in your school have the technological tools (internet
connection, fairly new computer hardware, new internet browsers) necessary
to access this type of service?
17)  How could this type of service best be marketed to an audience of
children and young adults?

Dawn Alexander, PhD Student in School Library Media
College of Information Studies
University of Maryland, College Park
dalexand@wam.umd.edu

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