DALNET Member Librarian Receives Award

[January 27, 2006]
Ann Walaskay, Librarian from DALNET Member Library Oakland Community College/Orchard Ridge Campus, is one of two librarians awarded the 2005 Walter H. Kaiser Memorial Award by the Michigan Library Association. The other recipient was Sandy McCarthy of Washtenaw Community College. The award is in recognition of shared efforts to provide enhanced services to community college students across Michigan. Ann and Sandy developed a collaborative virtual reference service, which was launched on March 14, 2005. Virtual reference is not a new concept, but what is unique about the project is its collaboration among 17 participating colleges in Michigan.

As co-leaders of the Virtual Reference Advisory Group, Ann and Sandy were instrumental in spearheading Research Help Now, an online service that provides real-time, individual research assistance from a Michigan community college librarian via a chat session. They were involved in the software selection, purchase, and installation. They oversaw the development of policy guidelines and marketing materials, as well as staff training, and the creation of an electronic discussion list to promote communication among the participants.

Research Help Now was begun to provide online library services to students in the Michigan Community College Virtual Learning Collaborative, a program which allows students from anywhere in the state to enroll in any of the online courses offered by Michigan community colleges from a single online catalog. 17 community college libraries joined in the collaborative for Virtual Reference. This fall Research Help Now expanded membership to include the Library of Michigan.

The Walter H. Kaiser Memorial Award honors Walter Kaiser, who served as the director of the Wayne County Federated Library System for 26 years and was a nationally known library consultant, authority in local government, and innovator in technical services.

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