VALA2010 Session 12 McDonald

VALA20120ICT as core business: will we prosper or drown?

VALA 2010 CONCURRENT SESSION 12 – IT Management
Thursday 11 February 2010 11:05 – 11:35
Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2010-proceedings/vala2010-session-12-mcdonald

VALA Peer Reviewed PaperCarolyn McDonald

Technology Services Librarian, Gold Coast City Council
https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/library

Kate Davis

Online Futures Librarian, Gold Coast City Council
https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/library

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Abstract

Recent changes in IT organisations have resulted in changes to library IT support. Concurrently, new tools and systems for service delivery, have become available, but these require a move away from the traditional ICT model. Many libraries are investigating new models, including Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud computing and open source software. This paper considers whether the adoption of these tools and environments by libraries has occurred as a result of a lack of suitable ICT solutions and support ICT organisations. It also considers what skills library staff need in order to ensure sustainability, supportability, and ultimately, success.

VALA2008 Session 13 Davis

VALA Peer Reviewed PaperBe my buddy: IM and the future of virtual reference

VALA 2008 CONCURRENT SESSION 13: Virtual Reference
Thursday 7 February 2008 10:45 – 11:15
Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2008-proceedings/vala2008-session-13-davis

Kate Davis

Electronic Services Librarian, Gold Coast City Council Library Service
http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/library

Please tag your comments, tweets, and blob posts about this session: #VALA2008

Abstract

In 2006, the administrators of the Australian virtual reference service, AskNow, entered the Instant Messaging (IM) arena. One of the first large scale, collaborative IM services in the world, the AskNow IM trial provided a unique opportunity to prove IM virtual reference as a concept, as well as to test the technology itself. This paper will discuss the rationale and impetus for the trial, explore the successes and stumbling blocks encountered during the establishment and evolution of the trial and the service model, examine the lessons learnt throughout the trial, and conclude by discussing the way forward for IM services and virtual reference.