2002 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT FROM THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SECTION

2002 Officers

Deborah Vaughn, Chair
College of Charleston

John Summer, Vice Chair
Francis Marion University

Key White, Secretary
College of Charleston
2002 Members

Total membership is 90 (as of July 2002), according to the SCLA web page.

2002 Annual Conference

The College and University Section co-sponsored a conference session with the Public Services Section entitled "Virtual Reference: From Experiment to Everyday Service." Josh Boyer, reference librarian for Distance Services at North Carolina State University, delivered an expert talk on this subject. He has been working for over two years as part of a three-person team to implement and coordinate the virtual reference service at North Carolina State.

Mr. Boyer discussed reasons to have virtual reference service in your library and questions that administration should ask itself in deciding to use an "Ask a Librarian" service. He described the LSSI product installed at his research library: how it works, staffing and training, technical problems, and evaluation of the service. Mr. Boyer explained that virtual reference answers patron's calls via computer instant messaging. Using a co-browsing feature the librarian can bring up web sites and show them to the caller, while using a portion of the monitor's screen for a chat conversation. Both parties can control the web pages. The service can be used with a group or a class. NC State libraries have successfully done this.

At Mr. Boyer's workplace, librarians answer these web/chat calls while on reference desk duty. They simultaneously respond to questions across the desk, over the phone and through chat messages. This has posed no real problems. They receive an average of 11 calls a day and this has been a manageable number. Paraprofessionals also assist in virtual reference; in fact library assistants often feel more comfortable in a chat room than professional librarians do!

While Mr. Boyer thought that chat was not the ideal form of communication for reference librarians, virtual reference has been helpful in bringing information to patrons through quality service. At North Carolina State Libraries, virtual reference has been a success story. Judging by the numerous questions from the southeastern audience, other libraries are serious about offering similar public services.

(Thank you to Suzanne Singleton for reporting Mr. Boyer's conference presentation.)

The College and University Section also sponsored a conference session entitled "Printing Options for Public Services: Print Management in an Academic Environment." James Williams, Head of Circulation and Student Computing Services at the College of Charleston, first discussed why print management might be a sound choice for different types of library environments. Mr. Williams reported that approximately 500,000 pages per semester are printed at College of Charleston's Small Library. Various print management options were presented: server optional, server required, dedicated hardware, client/release station, company run and managed, authentication required, and cash/card/coin-op.

Mr. Williams concentrated on LPTOne, the software-based model that was adopted by the Small Library. This system runs on a client release station and requires very little administration. LPTOne is scalable, so that authentication and/or cash/card/coin-op modules can be added. Mr. Williams reported that after only three weeks of print management use, the Small Library saved 20% in waste reduction.

Mr. Williams offered numerous points to consider when investigating and implementing a print management system, after which he facilitated a highly beneficial group discussion. Participants detailed their own print management systems and printing experiences. This casual exchange of information and advice made Mr. Williams' presentation invaluable to all in attendance.

2002 Budget

January 31 $2,353.00
February 28 $2,377.00
March 31 $2,401.00
April 30 $2,497.00
May 31 $2,542.00
June 30 $2,563.00
July 31 $2,575.00
August 31 $2,575.00
September 30 $2,668.00
October 31 $2,668.00**

Note: This does not include deductions for 2002 Annual Conference expenses ($592.05 to Josh Boyer for expenses; $85.00 for James Williams' conference registration; and $175.00 to James Williams' for honorarium). Other conference expenses may occur.
2003 Officers

John Summer, Chair (Francis Marion University)
Rogers Library
P.O. Box 100547
Florence, SC 29501
843.661.4677 phone
843.661.1309 fax
JSummer@fmarion.edu

Burton Callicott, Vice Chair (College of Charleston)
Robert Scott Small Library
66 George St.
Charleston, SC 29424
843.953.1428 phone
843.953.8019 fax
callicottb@cofc.edu

Yvonne Hudgens, Secretary (Lander University)
Jackson Library
320 Stanley Avenue
Greenwood, SC 29649
864.388.8365 fax
864.388.8816
yhudgens@lander.edu