The document discusses an update made to the Reference Excellence wiki page and references a conference hashtag. It provides a link to the Reference Excellence wiki page on the New South Wales Government Libraries website and includes the hashtag #risg2010, likely referencing an event or conference.
Introduction (Cathy): it's very opportune to be following up Gosford Library's presentation with an update of what the Reference Excellence wiki is currently up to. The ref-ex wiki is now 18 months old (having been launched at Information Online in January 2009 & showcased at last year's reference seminar) and in that time a lot has happened, so this afternoon Ellen & I are going to share some of those changes & let you know how the wiki is measuring up as far as evaluation goes as well as give you some highlights for future modules - some which are not very far away from going live.
first a brief recap - modules 1 thru 6
Module 1: Overview of the Reference Process
Module 2: Reference Interview skills & question types
Module 3: People Skills & Model Reference Behaviours
Module 4: search strategies
Module 5: Reference Resources
Module 6: Ethics & Legislation - however here in Module 6 the quiz & review sections cover everything from modules 1 thru 5 as well. This is about to change - not just as a result of feedback from you but mainly as a result of the way the wiki has since grown wikis are fantastic creatures & for those who've been using the wiki you'll have noticed that since this time last year the wiki has grown some more. we currently have 2 nerw modules up - roving reference (M7) & local studies (M8)
Module 7: we've had a couple of presentations on roving reference & keep hearing good things about it so it's great to have a whole module dedicated to covering this method of providing reference services
Module 8: local studies - is an important module for helping not only those staff who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with providing local studies reference assistance, as well as refreshing the skills and knowledge of those who have a wealth of experience in this field.
That's a very brief recap of what's new on the ref ex wiki, Ellen is now going to chat about how the wiki has measured up over the last 12 months.
12 months of statistics Explain bounce rate and that almost 50% of visits are people coming back to the site. Talk through
Can get average time on site for each day
This is an impressive time on site
We know how many people are visiting each day
How people are getting there o and there are lots of bookmarks or but check out some of the referrals state library and sutherland 0 and see the key works – and more details are available
The visits on this page are the people who find the site and a lot of the searches are for people actually looking for the wiki – but it is turning up when people are looking for ideas conveyed within the wiki like reference interview of reference process.
Most of the visits come from Australia
You would expect to see this, but there are some surprises
It looks like Mildura is using this for their training too
It is also popular in Adelaide – I have to stress this is indicative data only, but it lets all of us know that this site is being used
(Cathy) It’s great to hear what’s been happening with the wiki.
So what’s in the future? From the evaluation occurring we can see which areas need work – this also lets you know that we do follow up on survey responses. In order to make the wiki work at its best we need to know what works best for you and what doesn’t, so please respond away! The very nature of the wiki allows for its continual growth & change which is a fabulous thing! Wikis are never finished.
In fact a result of today’s seminar is that we will be adding in content regarding Gosford’s methodology into Tips for Supervisors, adding other suggested ways of using the training. Not only that but we also have a number of additional modules nearing completion and a few more in the pipeline. The children’s module is written; we’re up to the final edit It’s a short module which can operate as a stand alone, but better if people have done modules 1 thru 7 first Next we have a family history module which is also nearing completion. There is some further editing to required but it should definitely be up & running by the time we gather here again next year! It will be exciting to see how libraries have utilised these new modules and what sort of feedback we get! I’m really looking forward to it.
As a direct result of feedback we will be revamping Module 6 and creating a standalone Review Module which will grow & expand as new modules go live, in the meantime please bear with us as we strive to get it right We have a proposal for a youth module – with so far one volunteer to write, we will of course be asking for more volunteers to help with that one And an RA module also on the cards, though we will need to negotiate with Sherree & Ian at Libraries Alive who provide the Rewarding Reading training to see how we can best work together to achieve this module
There’s bound to be more modules going live as we are always asking for input from you, yes you, for any other modules you think should or could be part of the ref-ex wiki – please let us know what you think. Trust me, we’ve got thick skins and are always keen for new ideas. One of the ways you can make suggestions for the ref-ex wiki is from the RISG wiki. http://referenceandinformationservices.wetpaint.com/page/ref-ex+wiki
Lastly I would like to thank all the writers & volunteers who have worked on the ref-ex wiki. Volunteering to help is not a commitment for life. Some of us have been running with the ref-ex wiki since the beginning, others have come and gone depending on availability & work demands. Some come I only to help with one module or to provide editing or tech assistance for a few. We are always looking for volunteers or ways that you, yes you, can help – thru uploading images of reference collections, spaces & libraries to flickr with a creative commons licence so that we can use those images; providing short or long term help with editing; or technical assistance – learning to use Media Wiki has been supported by some great people who get how to do stuff in such a way that it’s made easier for the rest of us. You could be a subject specialist, so sharing your knowledge is the greatest way you can help us – thru responding to surveys with hints for how we could make things better, highlighting areas to expand, explore, correct – let us know. And yeah, sometimes we are going to turn around and ask you, yes you, to write it down for us us but they may be all – piece of cake!
That’s what makes the Ref-Ex wiki so great – it truly is a collaborative process. So keep an eye on it – the Reference Excellence wiki – for all your training needs.