Libraries open the door to new books and old favourites; they keep us informed with the most up-to-date resources. They are places of encounters and cultural exchange; places of learning that offer leading-edge technology to meet the needs of members and the demands of the time. Accessible to all citizens, these bastions of knowledge play an essential role in our society. Veritable treasure troves, libraries bring us happiness and the means with which to thrive.
A strong library system is the cornerstone of a strong community. Ontario Public Library Week recognizes the important contribution Ontario's public libraries make to education, literacy and life-long learning in Ontario communities. With more than 1,100 service points throughout Ontario, public libraries’ patrons make over 69 million visits to local libraries across Ontario annually. And now virtually every library branch in the province also provides access to electronic information through the Internet.
Also, some news from Ontario libraries today, they're increasing the amount of hours askON, Ontario's virtual reference service (aka real-time library research service, that sounds so much better), is available. The service is now available 45 hours per week up from 40 hours. Why the increase? Demand! Great to hear.
Since it launched in January 2008, traffic to the askON service, available from the websites of over 35 Ontario public libraries, has increased exponentially. The number of questions and requests for research assistance handled by askON's public library staff in September 2009 more than doubled from September 2008, and demand for the service in October has already outstripped September by more than 10%.
Participating public libraries contribute anywhere from 3 to 10 staff hours per week to the shared askON schedule. askON staff, who are located around the province, use instant messaging services to chat one-on-one with a wide range of visitors including students needing help with school research assignments, job seekers looking for career guidance and businesspeople looking for industry trends.
So, a ResourceShelf tip o' the cap to all of our Canadian librarian readers and an extra nod to those of you in Ontario. Go Leafs! (-:
Ed. Note: If you know of upcoming library events like the ones posted above, please let us know about them. We will do our best to mention them on ResourceShelf.
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