Forwarded for info. Bill McMahon Ocean Springs MS ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maryann D. Moseby" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 5:45 PM Subject: [OHWASH] Ohio Launches Virtual Reference Service > Please note that the following service is ONLY for OHIO Residents > > Maryann > > ____________________________________________________ > > State Library Of Ohio Launches Virtual Reference Service That Answers > Questions 24/7, With Real Time Answers From Professional Librarians > > > Service - initiated first in Cleveland - is now available to all persons > > living in the State of Ohio > > COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The statewide introduction of > KnowItNow 24x7 was inaugurated at a ceremony at the Northwest Library in > Columbus, Ohio on September 7, 2004. The Northwest Library is a cooperative > project of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and Worthington Libraries, and > is managed by Worthington Libraries. > > Utilizing a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services > (IMLS) awarded by the State Library of Ohio, all persons living in the State > of Ohio can now use the State's online 24/7 virtual reference service. The > online service, available at http://www.KnowItNow.org , is designed to > provide all residents, whether they do or do not possess a library card, > with access to information, regardless of the time of day. > > According to Joanne Budler, State Librarian of Ohio, "To use the service, > all that Ohio residents need to do is log on to www.KnowItNow.org , and > enter their zip code. From that point, the Web site offers a variety of > reference options." Referencing the user-friendly layout of the site, Ms. > Budler said, "Users can ask questions on a variety of topics, chat in real > time with a librarian, find answers to their questions, and get homework > help." > > Resources from business and finance, to health and medicine, from science > and technology to genealogy, are all accessible from the site, with > librarians staffing the service for real time answers to questions asked by > online users of the service. Tutors are available to assist students from > 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week. Access to the Web site is > obtainable from a home computer, a personal laptop, a computer at work or in > the library. > > KnowItNow.org is one of only a few virtual reference services made available > through a statewide public library system in the United States. The free > service is supported by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services > funds, granted through the State Library of Ohio. > > SOURCE State Library Of Ohio > > CO: State Library Of Ohio; Columbus Metropolitan Library; Worthington > Libraries; KnowItNow 24x7; Northwest Library; Institute of Museum and > Library Services; IMLS > > ST: Ohio > > SU: PDT > > Web site: http://www.KnowItNow.org > > http://www.prnewswire.com > > 09/08/2004 10:46 EDT > > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > >