The FY2002 NH Public Library Statistics and the 2002 Personnel Data Report will not be available in print form due to budget cuts. The statistics are available at the State Library's web site, in PDF format, not in Excel (we're trying to get the cover page corrected); the Personnel Data Report will be online as soon as possible.
The FY2003 NH Public Library Annual Report form is in the hands of Informata, being programmed for its online appearance under Bibliostat Collect. It should be available by the end of February. Only libraries that do not have Internet access or that are having problems with their PCs will be eligible to file paper forms this year. Librarians who want to get a jump start on their figures can download or print out last year's report, which is still on the NHSL web site, and fill in what they know. There are a few changes in the 2003 survey, but not enough to make a really big difference. Just don't send the rough drafts to Sue!
Sue Palmatier will put out a summary of changes so librarians will be prepared when the new survey is available. In print, the report will seem longer this year; this is due to several factors, such as larger typeface, a few new queries, and longer explanations and instructions right at the questions. Sue is not sure how the form will appear online.
A word about E-mail Reference:
In 1990, the Reference and Information Services Section of the NH State Library answered a total of 7834 reference questions, of which 73% were received via telephone, 24% were in person, and 3% via the mail. In 2003, of about 13,000 questions received, 34% were via telephone, 34% in person, 1% were via the mail, and 34% were via e-mail.
Some of the advantages of receiving reference questions via e-mail as opposed to the telephone are that it allows the reference librarian to conduct a thorough search for the information without the pressures of a person waiting on the telephone; if it is not possible to answer the question immediately, it eliminates the time it may take to get back in contact with the patron via the telephone; it is much easier and more accurate to copy and paste a web site address into an e-mail message than it is to recite the address over the telephone ( and easier for the patron who can just click on the hot link in the e-mail message); and using a scanner to copy a page or two from printed material into PDF format, an attachment can be sent with the e-mail message containing the information that answers the patron’s question. The major disadvantage is that the reference librarian is unable to conduct a reference interview to determine exactly the information the patron is seeking. It is sometimes necessary to ask the patron for further clarification of the question via a reply to the e-mail message.
Ninety-five percent of the questions received by the State Library via e-mail are answered the same day or within 24 hours. The State Library uses Question Point software, purchased through OCLC, to handle the e-mail questions. It also has a chat feature which allows the patron to converse with the reference librarian by typing messages back and forth in real time. It is available from 11 am to 2 pm, Monday through Friday, but it has not been popular with our patrons. Patrons access the service, "Ask a Librarian" by clicking on the link located in the upper right hand corner of the State’s official web page: http://www.nh.gov.
For those who have not already done so, libraries may want to consider providing an e-mail reference service on their own web page, and if possible on the home page of the town or city. It is not necessary to purchase software such as Question Point to do so. A reference form or just a pop-up general e-mail message form will suffice and should be fairly easy to do by the person who maintains your web page and/or the town's web site.
Libraries are also welcome to submit reference questions to the State Library via "Ask a Librarian." Our strength is answering any requests for information related to New Hampshire, but any questions from a New Hampshire library will be accepted. If we do not have the resource to answer it, we may be able to refer you to a resource that does.
As stated above, there are advantages receiving a reference question in person or on the telephone. However, even in these situations, the reference librarian may want to consider asking for the person’s e-mail address when the information to answer the question is available on the web. It is so much easier to copy and paste a web address to an e-mail message than to recite the address not once but usually several times so that a person can copy it down. It is also easier and quicker than providing directions over the telephone to person who is on the Internet when you are speaking with them (e.g. Go to www….. and then click on XXXX located in the left side of the page, and then scroll down etc. etc.) Granted, the reference librarian does have to write down the e-mail address, which sometimes can be long, but usually not longer than the URL and/or the instructions that you may have to provide to get the patron to a specific web page.
The governor's request that state agencies cut 10% from their budgets has affected collection development. The Collection Development committee recommended that the state library cancel all standing orders to be published between January and June 2004 except some New Hampshire titles. We shall continue to receive the Bowker Annual; New Hampshire business to business directory; New Hampshire Health Care Perspectives; New Hampshire in perspective: a statistical view of the Granite State; New Hampshire Practice Series; New Hampshire register; US Code Annotated. The state library will not cancel any periodical titles. No new books will be ordered, except New Hampshire-related and those for Family Resource Connection.
Check out the New Hampshire Arborists website at nharborists. org. Click on the NHAA New Hampshire State Library Education Project. There you will find out why we have the NH Arborist Association's books and videos in the NH State Library. We have just received our first DVD to add to this collection. The title is: Interactive manual and photolibrary of woody landscape plants. From the fall colors of the tree on the cover, it looks like a very interesting and educational video.
