Welcome to Virtual Library Zine #35
It is aimed at staff in public libraries and anyone interested in Web and electronic resources.
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Asknow!
AskNow! is a 12 month pilot project to investigate the use of chat software to provide library and information services via the Web. It is a collaborative project coordinated through the National Library of Australia, with all State Libraries participating. Yarra Plenty and Victoria's Virtual Library staff are participating in this project.
Using Controlled Language on the Web
Those skills of using controlled language within databases can also be extended to search engines to gain better search results as this article attests.
Senate Enquiry on the role on Libraries in the Online Environment
Submissions for this senatorial enquiry were to be in by 16th August. Read what local government, librarians and libraries have to say about what libraries have and need to stay relevant in today's society.
Images Canada
Borrowing the PictureAustralia concept from Australia, the National Library of Canada has launched a collection of 75,000 images depicting Canada's history. There are trails, and images can be searched by Keyword. Information is also available in French.
And for the Caffeine Addicts out there…
The Coffee Science Information Centre provides" balanced and up-to-date information on coffee, caffeine, and health based upon our extensive database of scientific studies". A great site to peruse while drinking your first double espresso of the day…
Facts and Figures on the new Mill Park Library
The building is 1,800 square metres with room to grow. The collection at the new Mill Park library costs $1.7 million. More than 5,000 people visited the library on the first day, borrowing 3,600 items. 3,000 new members signed up within the first two weeks, and by then almost half the 60,000 item collection was out on loan. The library sits on a road used by 60,000 residents. Needless to say, they're pretty busy…
Bobby Alert
CAST the organization which has developed Bobby, the software for resolving accessibility issues with websites has just been acquired by Watchfire. The free preview for Bobby is still available at . Thanks to Maryanne Gosling from Eastern Regional Libraries for letting the Zine know.
The zine is edited by Brendan Fitzgerald and Stephanie McGlinchey