Register for now for the Association of College and Research
Libraries (ACRL) e-learning course, Virtual Reference Competencies
Part 2: Practice and Expand Communications Skills and Knowledge: An
ACRL Moodle Seminar, October 27 - November 14.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/proftools/courses/virtualref2.cfm
(Part 1 is not required)
Other courses listed at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/proftools/elearning.cfm
ABOUT THE COURSE
Virtual reference service requires all of the same professional
communications skills and knowledge as face-to-face reference
service. The challenge is to apply, practice, imagine, and understand
how to communicate professionally within the technology context and
using good reference skills and knowledge. In this course
participants will engage in learning activities, supported by
readings as well as lecture and discussion to practice and expand the
communications competencies required by effective virtual reference
librarians.
"Virtual Reference Competencies II: Practice and Expand
Communications Skills and Knowledge" is a primarily asynchronous
seminar, allowing participants to work through course material at
times convenient to them throughout the three week scheduled course
time. Participants may also choose to schedule online chat time with
the teacher, as they feel necessary. Specific material and learning
activities will be covered during each week of the course. Threaded
discussion forums are available for use in learning activities and
other course-related conversations.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
* Ability and awareness of the need to continue learning
technical, communications, and reference skills and knowledge
* Awareness and understanding of good reference interviewing
skills and techniques
* Detailed functional knowledge of good reference interviewing
skills and techniques
* Ability to empathize with virtual reference users during a
virtual reference interview, and to understand something of the
culture and social environment of the Internet
* Ability to explain library and research processes without using
library jargon
* Awareness of the need to imagine and project a professional
persona as part of library participation in the Internet community
library spaceš on the Web
* Ability to provide information without making value judgments,
to maintain and project professional objectivity
* Ability to carefully and quickly read and respond to the text
typed by a library user and displayed on a computer monitor -
communicating to the user that you are listening'
* Understanding of the need and the ability to be thereš for the
virtual reference user avoiding 'silence'
* Understanding of when and how to teach or instruct during a
virtual reference transaction
* Awareness of when and how to provide follow-up, referrals, or
to request consultations with other professionals
* Ability to work with multiple users in a virtual reference only
environment
* Ability to work with multiple users in a mixed virtual
reference and face-to-face environment
* Detailed functional knowledge of typing quickly and fluently on
a computer keyboard in order to communicate - typing fluency
INSTRUCTOR
Diane Kovacs, Kovacs Consulting
The instructor has been teaching virtual reference related concepts
and skills online and in-person for more than 16 years. She is the
author of The Virtual Reference Handbook: Interview and Information
Delivery Techniques for the Chat and E-Mail Environments Neal-Schuman
Publishers (2007) published concurrently in the United Kingdom by
Facet Publishers (2007) and The Kovacs Guide to Electronic Library
Collection Development: Essential Core Subject Collections,
Selection Criteria, and Guidelines (Neal-Schuman, January 2004).
Additional Biographical Information is available at
<http://www.kovacs.com/aboutus.html>
<http://www.kovacs.com/dianevita.html>
REGISTRATION
Registration for this seminar is now open. For additional information
and a link to the online registration form, visit:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/proftools/courses/virtualref2.cfm
ACRL member: $135
ALA member: $175
CACUL member: Can$195 (charges will be made in U.S. dollars)
Nonmember: $195
Student: $60
********
ACRL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA),
representing more than 13,000 academic and research librarians and
interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership
organization in North America that develops programs, products and
services to meet the unique needs of academic and research
librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to
understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching,
learning and research environments.
-- Diane K. Kovacs, Web Teacher - http://kovacs.com Web Design & Construction for Libraries Part 1: XHTML and CSS (beginners) http://kovacs.com/webdesignpart1.html Web Design & Construction for Libraries Part 2: CSS and Javascript (intermediate) http://kovacs.com/webdesignpart2.html Web Design & Construction for Libraries Part 3: Building Library 2.0 (advanced) (contact the teacher to be notified when this course is ready) diane@kovacs.com or diane.kovacs@gmail.com (Gtalk or e-mail) AIM & Yahoo: SaintsMrsDi - MSN - diane@kovacs.com Di Wind in Second Life
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