The Quality Assurance Workgroup has been hard at work and has awarded the following transcripts for April Exemplary Reference Awards. Transcripts were awarded in three categories: Best Detailed Chat, Best Brief Chat, and Best Teaching Chat.

Exemplary Brief Chat:

Nancy Meyers, Sarasota County Library.

Nancy expertly walked the user to a practice exam available through their library’s Learning Express. Nancy showed as she utilized her skills in navigation and search to help patrons navigate another library’s website! At the end of the session, the user said: “Thank you so much Nancy I have what I was looking for. You are the best”

Exemplary Detailed Chat:

Sandra Lee Hawes, St. Leo University.

SandraLee assisted a student who was trying to find a peer reviewed article on a very interesting assignment. The student was a bit apprehensive about the assignment. SandraLee offered great words of encouragement a take a deep breath, plunge into the literature, grab something you can use, then get ready to write, write. Write. The student responded. “Thank you again and I really appreciate your wise advice and positive thinking.” SandraLee concluded the chat with “Now, go! Read, research, write!”

Exemplary Teaching Chat:

Debora Stewart, Palm Beach Atlantic University.

In this epic chat, Debora teaches a student how to search Netlibrary and her online databases.  The chat could have easily ended when Debora checked the school’s catalog and found the student’s book was not offered in electronic format.  However, Debora, guided the student through other resources that proved quite helpful, and she delivered excellent service in the process.

Brief Chat
Tom Mueller, Citrus County Library
Susan Weiss, Florida International University
Lena Phelps, South Florida Community College
Nancy Meyers, Sarasota County Library
Guy Adkins, Jacksonville Public Library
Susan Smith, Hodges University
Rachel Mulvihill, University of Central Florida
Mindy Rose, Palm Beach County Library
Diana Matthews, Santa Fe College
Katy Banks, Palm Harbor Library
Renee Patterson,  Ask a Librarian Intern
Jamie Goldman, Ask a Librarian Intern
Carlos Pedemonte, Tampa Hillsborough County
Yossi Gremillion, Everglades University
Michelle Howard, Pasco County Library
Amy Jones Lee, Osceola Library
Matthew Moyer, Jacksonville Public Library
Kay Ralston, AAL Intern
Jane Tracey, Orange County Public
Joyce Baldwin, Nassau County Public

Detailed Chat
Connie Head, Gulf Coast Community College
Kristin Corbin, Suwannee River Regional Library
Salena Coller, American InterContinential University
Kathleen Hensman, Delray Beach Public
Carlos Pedemonte, Tampa Hillsborough County
Dennis Smolarek, Lake County Library
Meredith Sermones, University of Central Florida
Catherine Hodges, Florida State College of Jacksonville
Paul McDonough, Univerisity of Florida
SandraLee Hawes, Saint Leo University
Kay Ralston, AAL Intern
Charlyn Hill, Citrus County Library
Kira Smith, AAL Intern
Jennifer Saxton, Miami Dade College

Teaching Chat
Catherine Katz, Valencia Community College
Susan Smith, Hodges University
Donna Wrublewski, University of Florida
Kira Smith, AAL Intern
Debora Stewart, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Greg Sidberry, Nova Southeastern University
Janet Bergeron, Tampa Hillsborough County
Yossi Gremillion, Everglades University
Richard Llewellyn, Nova Southeastern University
Ven Basco, University of Central Florida
Beth King, Valencia Community College
Kay Ralston, AAL Intern
Judy Tidwell, Broward College
Kathy Salek, North Florida Community College

Don’t forget to nominate yourself or your co-workers sessions in the Ask a Librarian Toolbox at:  http://info.askalibrarian.org or when closing a live chat session.

Congratulations to all those nominated this month.  Don’t forget – Exemplary Reference Awards will be presented at FLA next year (www.flalib.org).  I thank everyone for all their hard work on Ask a Librarian – without each of you, Ask a Librarian would not be a success.

The not-so secret tools, tips and tricks of the Ask a Librarian interns. How to provide assistance to statewide customers with grace and ease.

One of the most difficult tasks on Ask a Librarian is assisting users from institutions other than your own with “local” questions. Learn from the Ask a Librarian Interns Kira Smith and Renee Patterson, how to answer questions you didn’t think you could with relative ease. The interns will be joined by Traci Avet, the AAL Virtual Reference Coordinator and together they will take you through the resources, tips and tricks on helping users from institutions other than your own.

Register at:  http://www.tblc.org/ws_info.php?ws=1141

The Quality Assurance Workgroup has been hard at work and has awarded the following transcripts for both February and March Exemplary Reference Awards. Transcripts were awarded in three categories: Best Detailed Chat, Best Brief Chat, and Best Teaching Chat.

February:

Brief Exemplary Chat
Pat Maurer, Sarasota County Public Library
Pat very quickly found an excellent reliable website to answer the patron’s question concerning tetanus immunization. She copied and pasted the needed information and gave the website where it was found in 4 minutes! Fast and reliable information with a smile.

Teaching Exemplary Chat
Jerry Franz, Hodges University
Walked user through accessing her library’s databases. Showed great rapport with the user.

Detailed Exemplary Chat
Jennifer Hitchcock, Sarasota County
Provided reader’s advisory to a middle school student. She was able to turn her on to a new series. The user said that the information was very helpful and that she would come back after she read it to utilize Ask a Librarian again.

March:

Brief Exemplary Chat
Kira Smith, Ask a Librarian Intern
After her shift, after the official closing in fact, Kira goes above and beyond to help. Suggests solid databases and shows how to navigate them. Ask-a-librarian service on the other side of midnight!

Teaching Exemplary Chat
Regina Sequin, Valencia Community College
Great session by Regina. She helps locate databases, but most importantly helps the user get a handle on his subject. Her teaching includes not only how-to, but how-to *think* about a topic. She does an amazing job deftly covering some higher level information literacy concepts.

Detailed Exemplary Chat
Rhonda Kitchens, State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Excellent rapport established with patron. Showed patron a variety of excellent resources and how to get them. Good interchange with patron.

Selecting the top transcript in each category can often be a hard process with so many terrific sessions to choose from. Each month, I feel the QA group has to make harder and harder choices as the transcripts seem to get better and better. Below are the other people who were nominated this month by themselves, co-workers or the quality assurance workgroup.

February Brief Chat
Al Swinyarda, Tampa Hillsborough County Public
Catherine Katz, Valencia Community College
Elaine Sabol, Indian River State College
Greg Sidberry, Nova Southeastern
Jessica Mcluckie, Palm Harbor Library
Julie Bill, Lee County Library
Julie McNeil, Jacksonville Public Library
Kathleen Flynn, St Lucie County Library
Lorrie See, Sarasota County Library
Missy Shoop, University of Florida
Pat Barbier, St Petersburg College
Pat Schubert, Manatee County Public Library
Richard Llewellyn, Nova Southeastern
Susan Smith, Hodges University
Tatiana Alvarez, St Petersburg Public Library
Yossi Gremillion, Everglades University

March Brief Chat
Anne Clement, Jacksonville Public Library
Brian Jaudon, Tampa Hillsborough County Public
Chad Mairn, St Petersburg College
Guy Adkins, Jacksonville Public Library
Jaime Goldman, AAL Intern
Rachel Mulvihill, University of Central Florida
Rodica Bendor, Broward County Library
Sandra Stipins, Central Florida Community College
Susan Smith, Hodges University
Tina Mraz, Hernando County Public Library

February Teaching Chat
Jaime Goldman, AAL Intern
Kira Smith, AAL Intern
Marni Chidsey, Northwest Florida State College
Nancy Meyers, Sarasota County Library
Paula Bagwell, St Petersburg College
Peter Washkevich, St Johns County Public Library
Susan Smith, Hodges University

March Teaching Chat
Anne Clement, Jacksonville Public Library
Connie Tuiskuc, Palm Beach State College
Kelli Byrd, Tampa Hillsborough County Public
Carrie Gits, Nova Southeastern University
Rachel Mulvihill, University of Central Florida
Robena Corn, University of Florida
Susan Smith, Hodges University
Susan Weiss, Florida International University

February Detailed Chat
Bebe Chang, Broward County Library
Carol Maksian, Florida Gulf Coast University
Dani Lichtenberg, Palm Beach County
Kay Ralston, AAL Intern
Laura Minnich, Jacksonville Public Library
Richard Llewellyn, Nova Southeastern
Susan Smith, Hodges University
Vicki Wlliams, Brevard County Library

March Detailed Chat
Anne Rice, Monroe County Library
Jaime Goldman, AAL Intern
Jane Tracy, Orange County Public
Kristy Beauchamp, State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Laura Cifelli, Lee County Library
Susan Smith, Hodges University
Tiger Swan, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Don’t forget to nominate yourself or your co-workers sessions in the Ask a Librarian Toolbox at: http://info.askalibrarian.org or when closing a live chat session.

Congratulations to all those nominated this month. I thank everyone for all their hard work on Ask a Librarian – without each of you, Ask a Librarian would not be a success.